A man who moved halfway across the world to Liverpool when he was just a child has told the ECHO how the city's world-famous football atmosphere made him fall in love with the place.
Tom Chivers, 29, is founder of pick and mix sweet business called Picky Mixers. He moved to Liverpool from New Zealand when he was seven and now lives in Anfield.
Our new series, In My Liverpool Home, focuses on what makes Merseyside a great place to live. We've spoken to people from around the world who have moved here, as well as born and bred scousers who want to shine a spotlight on the region.
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Tom told the ECHO that despite not being from here, he considers Liverpool home. He added: "I'd now call myself a scouser before I say I'm a Kiwi."
He added: "The city has an energy that's hard to come by, people are generally lovely, and most would do anything to help you.
"You see it in places like Glasgow, places where the core is strongly working class and have been through some hardship, they seem to have perspective when it comes to their values and what's important in life. It's vital to try and look after everyone, not just yourself."
Since moving, Tom has found a home within a home at Anfield Stadium. He said going the match is when he most started feeling like "part of the group".
Tom added: "I wasn't really into football much as a kid, but my step-brother took me to my first game and I was hooked.
"Bizarrely, it was a really drab 0-0 against Stoke. Not exactly much to write home about. But Steven Gerrard scored a free kick that got disallowed. The, albeit short, celebrations for that goal were like nothing I'd ever experienced before, it was great.
"I was along for the ride from there. I wanted to be a part of whatever 'that' was."
While it's a dead giveaway where Tom's favourite spot in the city is, when he's not cheering on the Reds you're likely to find him around Hope Street.
He added: "It's got everything. From restaurants like Pen & Pencil, or The Quarter where you can spend an entire day just sipping your drink and watching the people go by.
"It's got two venues, the Everyman and the Philharmonic, in my opinion, the two greatest in Liverpool. Then you've got the pubs which are fantastic, I'm still yet to go to the Philharmonic without making a comment to someone about the toilets being Grade II-listed."
Despite being born elsewhere, Tom said there's no other place he'd like to be. He added: "I don't think I'd ever want to move anywhere else."
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