Jack Grealish kept his promise to a young fan who has cerebral palsy with his celebration after scoring his first World Cup goal for England against Iran on Monday.
Grealish tapped home the final goal from close range in a 6-2 win and marked the moment with a broad smile and stretched his arms out to the side, rolling them in waves.
The Manchester City midfielder was keeping a pledge he made to 11-year-old Finlay.
Finlay met his favourite player after writing a letter to Grealish, whose sister Holly also has cerebral palsy.
“I wish there were more people in the world just like you who treat people with disabilities the same as anyone else,” Finlay had written.
Grealish, 27, followed up with a letter of his own and also made a surprise visit to meet Finlay at a football session run by City’s charity programme.
It was there that he pledged to dedicate his next goal to the boy with the arm gesture Grealish recreated in Qatar.
“First of all I’ve got to try and score, then I’ll do it for you, but I’ve only scored once this season,” Grealish said in a video released by the Premier League.
“I’ll do it for you, I promise, next time I score.”
World Cup News
-
Football
/ 7 days agoSon scores but Thailand hold South Korea in World Cup qualifier
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held 1-1 at home by Thailand in...
By AFP -
Football
/ 2 weeks agoJapan-N. Korea World Cup game to stay in Pyongyang, JFA says
Japan’s World Cup qualifier against North Korea will be played in Pyongyang as planned...
By AFP -
Football
/ 3 weeks agoGerman ex-FA bosses on trial over World Cup tax evasion
Three German ex-top football officials went on trial on Monday in a 13.7-million-euro ($14.8...
By AFP -
Football
/ 4 weeks agoSaudi Arabia formally launches bid for 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia formally launched its bid to host the 2034 World Cup on Friday,...
By AFP