The teenager runs along side his idols after facing Celtic at the Madrigal
In this day and age, football is considered by many, a business rather than a sport and football fans are seen as moneybags rather than humans who just love the game. One club however, went a long way to prove these notions wrong after they decided to do something special for a 13 year old fan who is unfortunately suffering from an aggressive form of cancer.
Gohan is greeted by his team mates for the day as he enters the dressing room
Spanish club Villareal C.F. gave 13 year old Gohan the opportunity of a lifetime after they named him in the starting XI that would face Celtic in a charity match at Villareal’s El Madrigal Stadium. The teenager notified his carers of his desire to play for his beloved team at the famous Madrigal and the carers in turn notified the club who not only allowed him to play, but also gave him the full VIP treatment that included a separate space in the players dressing room and some hand signed memorabilia. The teenager made the most of this opportunity as he scored straight from kick off and the scenes that followed will surely bring tears to the eyes of many. The game ended with Villareal winning 5-2.
Gohan celebrates with his team mates after scoring straight from kick off!
Spanish outfit Villareal and Scottish club Celtic regularly play each other in such charity games with intention of raising funds and awareness for child cancer. This is due to a tragedy that former Villareal player Ernesto Boixader had to face almost ten years beack when he lost his son to the disease just before they were about to play Celtic F.C. in a UEFA Cup game. The reaction of the Celtic fans was unbelievable as they got together to empathize with the loss that Ernesto faced, even though he was from the opposing team.
Villareal and Celtic line up before the start of their friendly that will raise awareness for child cancer
This single story reaffirms my faith in football as this clearly proves that the sport is not just about winning and losing and making money but also about being a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Check out the video below to see Gohan living his special day.
Thank you so much Villareal C.F. and Celtic F.C. for making Gohan’s dream come true!