Liverpool's Sir Kenny Dalglish 'will stand behind Hillsborough campaigners every step of the way'

Sir Kenny spoke at the premiere of his new documentary which explores his life and career at Liverpool FC.

Sir Kenny Dalglish says he will stand behind Hillsborough campaigners "every step of the way" as they continue to fight for a change in the law almost 40 years on since the disaster. In a new documentary about his life, the Liverpool legend reflects on his footballing career, the toll of the 1989 tragedy and the burden of leadership during that devastating time for the club.

A crush resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans attending the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield.

Sir Kenny helped the Reds win multiple league titles and European Cups as a player and later returned as a manager. He was at the helm when the disaster struck and remembers that tragic day like it was yesterday.

"We became their supporters", he said. "They had supported us for years on the pitch. We wanted to make sure they were OK. But the people that made the decisions should have done a lot better than what they did."

Campaigners such as Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James in the disaster, are still fighting for the Hillsborough Law Bill, which is also known as the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill.

The legislation would see authorities face criminal sanctions if they attempt to cover up the facts behind disasters like Hillsborough and the Grenfell Tower fire.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had previously pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, which was on 15 April, but Downing Street then said more time was needed to redraft it.

"We're still behind them - every single step of the way", Sir Kenny said. "We will be there if they need anything and they should be proud of everything they have achieved.

"As well as losing one of their loved ones, their life took one hell of a dent as well. They have done marvellously well. The football club and the city of Liverpool have been totally supportive of every single one of them."

The 74-year-old, who still lives on Merseyside, was speaking at the Liverpool premiere of his new documentary due to be released on Amazon Prime on 4 November.

The film was directed by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia, who is known for an unforgettable trilogy of archive-driven documentaries centered on the lives of F1 driver Ayrton Senna, footballer Diego Maradona and singer Amy Winehouse.

Asif, a lifelong fan of Liverpool FC, said it was an "honour" to work with the football legend because there is "no one quite like Sir Kenny."

The director said: "The key thing about Kenny is he is the most amazing leader, but without it being all about him.

"He is all about the people, he is all about family, he is all about community - and right now, we're lacking leaders like that.

"Kenny is the kind of guy that came out of school at the age of 15 with no education but he was brought up well - and that's the message that I want people to get."

The documentary Kenny Dalglish will be in UK & Ireland cinemas from 29 and 30 October only - and will be available to stream on Prime Video from 4 November.

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