Messages for Liverpool fan Dave Evans, who is battling to survive until the Champions League final, have poured in from players in his favourite team including Steven Gerrard. Photo / Supplied
Messages for Liverpool fan Dave Evans, who is battling to survive until the Champions League final, have poured in from players in his favourite team including Steven Gerrard. Photo / Supplied
"It's about more than football, it's about life."
That's the message some of Liverpool's footballing greats have sent to a Hamilton fan battling terminal cancer and unable to make the trip to watch his team play in the Champions League final overnight.
Dave Evans, who moved to Hamilton from Coventry, England in December, has been given barely a week to live after being diagnosed with a rare aggressive form of bile duct cancer.
Evans, a dedicated Liverpool FC fan, has summoned all his strength to make sure he's around to watch the team play Tottenham in this morning's final in Madrid.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who said in his video message to Dave Evans: "It's about more than football, it's about life." Photo / Getty
And having video messages from some of the English club's biggest stars beamed into his room in the Waikato Hospice has helped.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, manager Jurgen Klopp and former midfielder Steven Gerrard all sent well-wishes in a series of videos that have since gone viral, racking up thousands of views on Twitter.
Other football juggernauts joined Liverpool CEO Peter Moore in sending support in a private message.
Dave and Liz Evans were "gobsmacked" when they realised some of Liverpool's biggest stars has sent video messages ahead of the Champions League final today. Photo / supplied
Evans' wife, Liz, said the couple were "absolutely gobsmacked" when they heard of the video message from former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher.
Liz said she screamed and burst out crying, which gave the hospice nurses a fright and sent them running to their room.
The mental health nurse posted the videos to Facebook, captioning the clip from Steven Gerrard: "For my beloved Dave. This is who he has been waiting for! Thanks Stevie G. Dave's your number one fan."
In the video, Gerrard said: "The least I can do is drop you a short video to show my appreciation and just to say that I'm really thinking about you. You take care of yourself. All the best Dave, take care."
Liz Evans screamed and cried after watching the video message from Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. She said her husband Dave is his "number one fan". Photo / Getty
Jordan Henderson said: "Hopefully we can bring the trophy back for you, take care mate."
Klopp shared his support with a two-minute compassionate message just one hour before flying to the Champions League final.
"It's about more than football, it's about life," said Klopp, who also said their main goal is to give people hope.
The messages piled in after former Liverpool player Stan Collymore saw a Coventry Telegraph article on Evans' story and tweeted the club, requesting to "let him know he'll never walk alone".
Messages from Liverpool stars poured in after former player Stan Collymore tweeted the club asking to "let him know he'll never walk alone". Photo / British Tourist Authority BOP
The Evanses had planned to celebrate their birthdays and anniversary with a trip to watch the match in Madrid, booking a hotel in advance. But after the shock diagnosis they decided to spend the money on his funeral.
A bit closer to home, the Chiefs also sent a video from the local changing rooms.
"We really hope you can make it through this Sunday and watch your beloved Liverpool get the job done," said captain Sam Cane.
The Evanses have shared their appreciation of the support in a Facebook video, saying they hope to raise awareness of the rare cancer, which is often only detected when it is too late.
Evans was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma - a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer - only weeks after moving to Hamilton last year. Symptoms usually only show up in the later stages when it has already spread from the bile ducts to other tissues.
Evans was given the all-clear after an ultrasound scan on February 4, but less than three weeks later, on February 22, doctors found a 12cm inoperable tumour in his bile duct.
Liverpool team captain Jordan Henderson takes a selfie photo with supporters. He told Dave Evans they would "hopefully bring the trophy back for you". Photo / AP
The couple wanted to highlight the aggressiveness of cholangiocarcinoma, and encouraged people to go to the doctor, get bloods done and request an MRI scan if they aren't feeling well.
"If all of these messages raise awareness of bile duct cancer, or help just one person, then it's worth it all," said Liz.
The support "has been unreal" in New Zealand, she said.
