The tears of a County Down boy turned to jubilation as he watched his beloved Liverpool play at Anfield on Monday night.
Little Luis Curran, 10, from Portaferry, traveled to Merseyside on the night boat with his father Garrett and was due to collect the pre-booked tickets before kick-off.
But as the atmosphere began to build, Luis and Garrett were left outside the stadium after being let down by their ticket agent.
Their “dream trip” suddenly turned into a nightmare until two familiar faces walked by and saved the day.
Family friends Paul Milligan and Kevin Doherty were also at Anfield to see the Reds take on Everton in the massive derby and after seeing little Luis in distress, they gave up their tickets for the game.
“We can’t thank Paul and Kevin enough. It was a wonderful gesture and made Luis’ night better,” said mother Janet.
“Luis always dreamed of going to Anfield to see Liverpool. It was the most important gift he asked Santa for and we managed to get two tickets to Everton’s game.
(Image: Janet Curran)
“They were bought and paid for last November but Luis and Garrett were left outside Anfield waiting for tickets that never came.
Luis was sitting on the sidewalk in tears and it was a bitterly cold night Garrett didn’t know what they were going to do.
“It’s hard enough to get tickets for a Liverpool game, let alone a derby against Everton and just before kick-off.
“They didn’t really have a choice and then Paul and Kevin who are also from Portaferry came along.
“They struck up a conversation with Garrett and heard what happened and they insisted on handing in their own tickets so Luis could see the game.
“Both boys also spent a lot of money to travel to Liverpool for the game so it was a great gesture that they presented their tickets.
“It’s nice to know that there are really decent, considerate and kind people out there who will give up something they care about for a disaffected child.”
Luis reveled in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Everton that night, with goals from Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo securing the derby victory.
(Image: Janet Curran)
And the Co Down boy also met one of his Reds heroes before the game.
“Luis got a picture with Jordan Henderson earlier in the day. He’s made up about it,” Janet added.
“I suppose it all worked out in the end, but we’re so grateful to Paul and Kevin for their help.”
Sign up for our free sports newsletter to get the latest news in your inbox.
Source: Bel Fast Live
