Liverpool vs Manchester United: Reds to wear different shirt to help promote 'Seeing is Believing' campaign

Liverpool will help raise awareness of preventable blindness by sporting the 'Seeing is Believing' campaign on their shirts in Monday night's Premier League encounter with Manchester United

Liverpool will have their shirt sponsor changed for the clash with Manchester United (Getty)

Liverpool will face fierce rivals Manchester United on Monday night sporting a new home shirt after swapping their usual sponsor for a new charity initiative that promotes awareness over avoidable blindness.

The likes of Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho normally take to the Anfield turf sporting a Liverpool shirt that bears their main sponsor Standard Chartered. However, the bank will instead swap their branding for their charity initiative Seeing Is Believing in an attempt to raise awareness for those suffering from visual impairment that can be prevented.

As part of the initiative, a number of Liverpool players have featured in a photoshoot that aims to demonstrate what it is like living with a visual impairment.

The decision to choose a game with the magnitude of Liverpool vs Manchester United has been hailed by the club’s manager Jürgen Klopp, who is looking forward to the challenge of taking on United once again. Despite being on Merseyside for just one year, Klopp has already faced United four times due to their Europa League clash last season. He has a mixed record against the record Premier League winners, having claimed a victory, a draw and suffered two defeats last season.

“Both games were intense and competitive,” said Klopp. “We were better in the first game at Anfield. We had a fantastic atmosphere and the players were inspired by that. It was my first time at Old Trafford for the second leg.

Liverpool players will sport the 'Seeing is Believing' campaign on their shirts against Manchester United (Standard Chartered)

“Maybe people don't like to hear it, but there was actually quite a good atmosphere there too! It changed the game a little bit and it was real proof of what an atmosphere can do. United were on top but we killed that atmosphere with Philippe's [Coutinho's] wonderful goal in the 45th minute.

Jurgen Klopp spent time during his sport science degree working with disabled athletes (Standard Chartered)

“From then on it wasn't that difficult any more. We are really looking forward to what will be a fantastic game at Anfield. It's a perfect moment for 'Seeing is Believing' because this game will have to be seen for people to believe what will happen.”

Klopp also took part in a training session that was run by the club’s Foundation in which he experienced what it was like to play with a blindfold on to replicate blind football.

The effects of visual impairment was displayed through the use of images that had been edited to recreate partial blindness (Standard Chartered)

“I did a few things like this when I studied sports science,” said Klopp. “I worked with handicapped people when I was quite young. Some couldn't see or hear, and some had other issues. I am sensitive to this.

“I worked in a hospital and taught wheelchair tennis. For a big part of my life I was really involved in things like this. Anything we can do to make life easier for people is fantastic. I had a similar situation when I played wheelchair tennis. I played it and then after the game I got up and walked away.

The 'Seeing is Believing' campaign raises awareness to help combat preventable blindness (Standard Chartered)

“It's like trying to take penalties with the blindfold on. You try it and think: 'oh my God, it's so difficult'. It makes you realise what others have to go through. It also makes you want to do everything you can to help people lead as normal a life as possible.”

Liverpool take on United this Monday with just three points separating them in the Premier League table, with the Reds looking to challenge for the top spot in the league while United will hope to close the gap on the top four.