Liverpool Football Club boosted the Liverpool City Region economy by £497 million gross value added (GVA) during the 2017-18 season, according to a report compiled by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

The report highlights the economic impact Liverpool’s matches and day-to-day activities had on the city, the Liverpool City Region and the UK as a whole for the campaign.

Last season, the city itself felt the impact of £454 million GVA and the UK benefited by £575 million.

Deloitte said the club’s activities support more than 4,500 full-time equivalent jobs across the Liverpool economy — a number which jumps to 5,700 for the Liverpool City Region.

Through local business supply chains and their employees, the knock-on effect is an indirect and induced £108 million boost to the economy of Liverpool.

More than 1.5 million football fans visited Anfield in the 2017-18 season and the impact of visitors from outside the local area is reflected in their £102 million contribution to the visitor economy of the Liverpool City Region.

They spent £42 million on accommodation, £28 million in the area’s restaurants, cafes and bars, £15 million on travel, £12 million in the region’s retail, and a further £5.4 million on groceries and other items.

Peter Moore, chief executive officer at LFC, said: “Understanding how our club impacts our region both from an economic and a social perspective is important.

“It’s clear that many of our matchday visitors come to Liverpool for the football, but return for the city itself, so there is a longevity and continuous cycle to the impact we’re creating.

“Through our community initiatives we’re also growing our impact season on season and through things like foodbank collections, have already surpassed last season’s total with still a third of this season to go.

“We’re also broadening this impact and as work starts on our new training ground development in Kirkby, so too will our community work through Red Neighbours.”