Just in: Tottenham U-23 manager shares story of young fan finding comfort in matches amid bullying
Football manager Wayne Burnett has shared a heartwarming story about a young fan who has found comfort and support in attending his team’s matches.
The Tottenham Hotspur’s under-23 manager revealed that the boy, a 10-year-old named Jacob, had been experiencing dyspraxia and bullying at school and his mother had reached out to him earlier in the year to share his difficulties.
According to her, the only time Jacob felt truly happy was when he attended Tottenham’s U-21 games at Stevenage, where he found comfort and a sense of belonging.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Burnett wrote: “She told me about the troubles her son had been going through with dyspraxia and being bullied at school, and explained to me that he found solace in coming to our matches.
She said that the only time her son was happy was when he would come to our matches, because he felt safe and among friends there.”
Moved by Jacob’s story, Burnett shared the message with his players, who quickly embraced the young fan as their number one supporter. The team welcomed him as a guest to one of their games last season, and since then, many of the players have stayed in touch with Jacob, even after transferring to new clubs.
He said: “The players adopted him as our number one fan, regularly greeted him and gave him some words of encouragement…Some have kept in touch with him even after transferring to a new club in the summer. This is something that makes me immensely proud.”
However, due to personal reasons, Jacob has been unable to attend recent matches. In response, the players sent him a heartfelt video message, reminding him that they were always thinking of him and that he was still part of the team’s community.
The story took an even more emotional turn when Jacob’s mother sent Burnett a poem that her son had written while attending games last season. Burnett expressed both heartbreak and pride in knowing that the team had played a role in helping Jacob navigate adversity.
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