Wigan Warriors' Liam Marshall discusses recent visit to his former amateur club

The winger headed down to St Patricks to present the U9s side with their new sponsored kit, which has been provided by local housebuilder Wain Homes.

Marshall states he enjoyed visiting the place where his rugby league journey started, and emphasised just how important grassroots clubs are to growing the entire sport with the impact they have on young players.

"I hadn’t been down for a while, so it was good to go to congratulate the kids and present them with their new shirts,” he said.

"It’s always good to go back and see some old faces.

"I didn’t play rugby as early as they did, so they’ve got a bit of a step up on me there.

"They probably get told things off their parents or hear things at school, but it’s amazing.

"It’s good for the sport as a whole- the grassroots is a massive part of it and clubs like Wigan St Patricks have been breeding grounds for talented kids for generations, so long may that continue.

"Sometimes we don’t appreciate the effect we can have on the young people of today by sharing a bit of wisdom.

"I remember when I was a kid, if you ever saw a rugby player knocking about or they came to your presentation, it was massive.

"I always try to make sure to do that little bit extra and have a chat with them- hopefully that will help to bring more people to the game.”