Column'Virgil was so happy for our U13s, he is a true inspiration'

We have just returned from the Netherlands, where our U13s took part in the very special Virgil’s Legacy Trophy, which we managed to win.

It was a truly fantastic experience and we cannot thank Virgil enough for what he has done for the Academy, not only is he our captain but he is a true inspiration to the younger generation.

He wanted to put something back into the game - alongside his former youth club Willem II, where he started playing - and the tournament in Tilburg did just that.

The two-day event featured 16 teams and we played against the hosts, Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain during Saturday’s group-stage matches at Sportpark Prinsenhoeve.

We managed to get three wins and then we beat Manchester City in the semi-finals, before overcoming Arne Slot’s former club Feyenoord 2-1 in the final.

It was an absolute honour for us to be invited along with the other teams Virgil has represented before, and we know the impact and amount of time he will have put in to set up this tournament.

We had the opening ceremony on Friday evening, with Virgil making an appearance as a surprise, and he spoke so passionately to everyone involved.

The passion he has to inspire these young people is absolutely brilliant and as the tournament name says, it leaves a legacy, and that was really powerful and evident over the weekend.

Virgil spoke to all of the teams, he took time out to have photographs with everyone and explained to the lads just how much they should have fun and enjoy the tournament. He also said to take on all the experience they can get, so for us to bring the trophy home was the icing on the cake.

Once we were invited it was always something first and foremost I wanted our boys to understand the amount of effort that Virgil had put into this tournament, alongside our great friends and organisers Orange Veins.

We wanted to let Virgil know our gratitude so the players put a video together for him and told him how much he already means to them. They know he wants to leave a legacy even whilst he is playing and leading this club and indeed representing the city.

Virgil also inspires them in the way that he plays the game so we also gave him a book, where all the players left a personal message to him to say thank you for the tournament and how it’s going to inspire them moving forward.

It was just a great experience and what I’m really proud of is the way all of the lads handled themselves throughout the tournament, they really did manage the matches and the environment that they were in.

There were a lot of really good teams and really good players that we were up against and the players enjoyed and expressed themselves, but the way they conducted themselves on and off the pitch was something that we as a football club can be really proud of.

After we heard the result of the first team winning at Burnley late on there was another magical moment for the team when Virgil video-called them.

They were aware that Virgil was watching the games on the Saturday and we know he watched us beat Manchester City.

I got a message to ask if it was OK for Virgil to give them a call and the look on their faces told its own story, they were super-excited.

You could also see his passion, his enthusiasm and how happy he was for the lads. It was a brilliant moment.

To be honest, we always said it was all about the experience and going to play against all of these great teams, but the closer we got you could see there was a real determination to bring the trophy home. That was really nice to see.

Virgil has also sent out a special invite and as a team we will be attending the Champions League match at Anfield against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. The lads are absolutely buzzing and we are so grateful to the captain.

To actually bring the trophy back to the Academy and also win individual recognition is amazing.

Young Josh won the best defender award and our striker, Ade, won the Diogo Jota MVP (most valuable player) award after he scored eight goals in five games, which is incredibly special.

Virgil spoke very passionately to the players about Diogo and his legacy. He discussed the importance of being a team player, the importance of hard work and also working for everyone else. He made it very clear those were real qualities and something Diogo epitomised and that is what the award was for.

It was really nice and humbling for one of our players to bring that award home with us.

The whole event was an experience we will all never forget as players and staff. We had former Liverpool player Michael Thomas with us too and he is always a fantastic help to the boys, giving them encouragement.

I would also like to say a special thank you for the help from our U12 coach Phil Charnock and physio James Goodman who were out there with us.

Whether you win or lose it’s all about taking on these experiences. We spoke to the players from day one about creating memories and things you will take forward with you, whether you have a career in football or not.

This weekend I know that everybody, staff included, will remember the Virgil’s Legacy Trophy forever.

Mike Yates was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter