' Support made me proud of my city..I met all the Liverpool players and they wanted to know how my case was going ' First day of freedom for Michael Shields, the football fan wrongly jailed in Bulgaria.

Byline: BRIAN READE 

WHENEVER the legal system delivered another slap to Michael Shields' face, his only thought was for the pain it gave his family.

After the 15-year jail sentence, the Bulgarian courts and the European Court of Human Rights turning down appeals and the British Government refusing to grant him a pardon, the knowledge of what it was doing to his dad Michael, mum Maria and sisters Melissa and Laura left him in bits.

"Those four years have been hard for me but it's been even harder for my family. Whenever I got bad news my first thought was always, 'Oh God, I wonder how they're going to take it'," said the 22-year-old from Liverpool who was this week pardoned for an attack four years ago on a Bulgarian waiter.

"I was in jail, in my own little bubble. But I was worrying about how they were dealing with the knock-backs and people saying bad things about me. It's easy inside to get on with it but it's harder for them outside."

Despite no DNA, CCTV or forensic evidence and another man admitting the crime, Shields was found guilty of attempting to murder Martin Georgiev in the Black Sea resort of Varna, five nights after Liverpool's Champions League Final victory in May 2005. He served four years and three months in Bulgarian and British prisons.

His morale hit rock-bottom when he went to Sofia for an appeal hearing, convinced, like his lawyers, he would get a re-trial. All the judge did was cut his sentence to 10 years and raise his fine.

"When the European Court of Human Rights knocked me back and wouldn't even even say why, I wanted to pack the fight in. I said to my dad, 'I'm not begging any more. I can't take more disappointments'."

What kept him going through his bleakest moments was the unstinting support from his family and the people of Liverpool.

The hard work of campaigners in Liverpool, led by the city council's Labour leader Joe Anderson, forced the Bulgarians to transfer him to Britain in November 2006.

Mosaics were held up on the Kop, bucket collections at Anfield raised over pounds 20,000, fundraising thousands more and Liverpool players rallied to the cause.

Jamie Carragher made a public appeal for then Prime Minister Tony Blair to become personally involved in the case, and the club invited Michael's father to their training ground to update the players on his plight. Without being asked for a penny the squad topped up the appeal fund by pounds 50,000, allowing the pounds 90,000 fine to be paid, and Michael to transfer to an English prison.

"The support from Liverpool was just amazing. It really hit home how much people were thinking about me when I got birthday cards from Liverpool players.

"More than anything the support from LFC, the fans and Scousers in general have seen me though this. I'm very proud to come from my city. If I was from anywhere else in the world I'd still be rotting in a Bulgarian jail.

"The Liverpool qualities others slag off really came out. The support of Liverpool got me where I am. They paid the huge fine that got me back and then told the Government, 'Do something. We won't let it go'. When I was behind my cell door the words to You'll Never Walk Alone would come to me. I knew they were true. The people of Liverpool were making sure I didn't walk alone. I can't describe how much that helped me get through it." Earlier this year, when Michael was out of prison on home leave, he went to the Melwood training ground to thank the players and staff. It was a dream come true for the Liverpool fanatic.

"Meeting them was crazy. Sami Hyypia was asking me, 'How is the case coming along?' and I'm thinking, 'How does he know about it?'

"Rafa Benitez was talking to me for about an hour and a half and he really knew what he was talking about. I should have been saying to them 'What about that goal?' but they just wanted to ask me about my case" My mum and dad had told me what everyone was doing for me back home, but because of the treatment I was getting over there I didn't believe it. It first hit me watching the Liverpool v Sunderland game the season after Istanbul, and the 'Free Michael' mosaic was held up across the Kop.

"They showed it on Bulgarian telly and I'm sitting there trying to take it in, saying to a Bulgarian fella, 'Look, that's me, that's me'. He didn't get it either."

Before travelling to Istanbul for the Champions League final, the quiet teenager from Edge Hill had qualified as a railway maintenance engineer and was ready to start a job, and build his adult life.

"I'm more street-wise than I was. But most of all it's taught me that you shouldn't take little things for granted, like playing footie with your nephew. It's taught me that you should just be there for them, because you never know what is going to happen."

Michael Shields: My Story, priced pounds 8.99, will be on general sale this month. To pre-order a copy call 0845 143 0001 or log on to www.merseyshop.com

CAPTION(S):

KOP THAT He saw message on Bulgarian TV GOALDEN TIME With striker Fernando Torres SUPPORT Michael at Melwood with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez during his home release STORY Reade with Michael