Lucas launches Fazakerley 9

Lucas Leiva showed his support for a charity launched in memory of James McVey, the Liverpool teenager who was killed in 2010.James was a Red and Lucas was his favourite player, so it was poignantly fitting that his father Jamie was able to launch the new 'Fazakerley 9' foundation from the club's Melwood training complex with the help of the Brazilian midfielder. MP for Walton Steve Rotheram, who has worked closely with James's family since the 18-year-old's death in October 2010, was also on hand to officially open the trust. "I am here to show my support for this charity," Lucas told Liverpoolfc.tv. "I think any charity that helps the community and young people is very important. "I hope this charity will help James's memory to live on. I think it's important to help people and everything I can do, I will do and that's why I am here." A three-peak challenge in June, a triathlon in Liverpool in July and the Liverpool Marathon in October are just three of the many events the charity has lined up to raise the money to achieve their goals. "The aim of the charity is to improve communities as best we can with the resources that we've already got and then through what we're going to try and achieve," said Jamie. "It's massively important that Liverpool Football Club are now involved - I'd like Everton to get involved as well. But obviously the first aim was Liverpool, the team James supported. I'd welcome any newcomers."It's a massive boost that Lucas has come down to show his support. Lucas was James's favourite player and James always said that people wouldn't realise how good Lucas was until he wasn't in the team. "So when Lucas did come forward to say he would be a patron of the charity, I had a tear in my eye because it was like a dream. So if anyone else wants to get involved in any way with the charity, let me know." Steve Rotheram told Liverpoolfc.tv about his involvement in Fazakerley 9. "I knew Jamie and his son for many years," said Rotheram. "Before the tragedy, Jamie had tried to do some stuff in the parks and in and around Fazakerley to improve it so that you can get kids playing football. "After James's death he came and said he'd like to do something in his son's memory and I said I'd do anything that I possibly could. "What we'd like to do is, there's a park in Fazakerley and it's underused and has also become a bit of a haven for anti-social behaviour. So we want to transform that. "It depends on the money we raise but we would like to get more money and then we're going to see what we can do on the behalf of the community.