Shany Hagan creates a painting of Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp

Shany Hagan, who has lived in York for more than 20 years, was contacted by well-known actor Ricky Tomlinson, who starred in The Royle Family and Brookside, and asked to create a special painting of Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp, to raise money for homeless people in the city.

Shany said: “Ricky is a good friend, he reached out to me and asked if I would help him.”

“Gary Skyner is a stand-up comedian in Liverpool who came up with the idea. I didn’t hesitate when he said money was for the homeless and then he asked if I would paint Jürgen Klopp.”

“I recognized the name but wasn’t sure who he was. I mentioned him casually to my mother and she almost fell off her chair – ‘Oh my God, Shany, he’s one of the best football managers in the world,’ she said.”

“She suggested I Googled him. My mother is a big football fan, she’s almost 80 and supports Arsenal.”

Shany with a piece she created for the former RAF base Scampton (Image: Included)

The York artist will travel to Liverpool when the paintings are finished to present and have the painting signed by Mr Klopp, which Gary will organize.

Shany had to undergo eye surgery during the Covid-19 lockdown and decided to start painting again, despite not having picked up a brush for 33 years.

After raising thousands for various charities by auctioning and donating her artwork, which attracted interest from a number of celebrities, Shany began organizing her own fundraiser earlier this year.

Until around October, with the support of some well-known names, Shany took on the challenge of running 550 miles to raise money for Diabetes UK and Breast Cancer Now.

Paintings in Shany’s series that have been donated to charity include one of the late BBC television presenter Harry Gration, painted with coffee and food coloring, and one of film star Johnny Depp, painted with red wine and donated to a domestic violence charity was donated against men.

She has also painted actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson with tea going into the children’s ward at Sheffield Hospital – and has even worked with the likes of Cliff Richard.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch saw his painting and described it as “beautiful” in a social media post – it too was donated to support a homeless charity.

Shany Hagan’s painting of King Charles (Image: Included)

The artist also traveled to London for the royal coronation as one of her paintings was displayed on billboards across the capital. Her painting of the King was selected for exhibition at the Art Tunnel in Barcelona – including works by more than 800 artists.