Anthony Heard

Jermain Defoe had walked out with hundreds of mascots during his time at Sunderland. Then in 2016, ahead of Sunderland v Everton at the Stadium of Light, Louise Wanless from the club's media team let him know a young lad was hoping to meet him. Bradley Lowery was a Sunderland fan from Blackhall. He had neuroblastoma, and Jermain Defoe was his favourite player. Defoe expected a shy kid who might be nervous around the squad. Instead, Bradley burst into the dressing room, made a beeline for him, climbed onto his lap, gave him a cuddle and started chatting about his boots. “We had an instant connection.” “It’s hard to explain but it was different, it was magical.” After that, Bradley stopped being just another mascot the club had invited along. He was round the place all the time, and even when he was very poorly, what struck Defoe most was the life still in him. “The first moment I met him I could not believe he was the young kid who was ill because he ran over to me.” “His energy in the changing rooms, bossing the other kids about, a great character.” By February 2017, Bradley was in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. A few of the Sunderland players went to see him, and after plenty of fun he ended up fast asleep in Defoe's arms on the hospital bed. By then Defoe wasn't waiting for the club to set things up. He asked for the family's details so he could visit Bradley himself. “I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.” In March 2017, Defoe got an England recall after years away. When England faced Lithuania at Wembley, Bradley walked out with him, with Joe Hart letting the pair lead the team out together. Defoe hugged him before kick-off, then scored 21 minutes in. Away from the cameras, though, Bradley was getting worse. Defoe was still talking to the family every day, and even after his summer move to Bournemouth, Bradley was never far from his mind. At his Bournemouth unveiling in July 2017, he was asked about Bradley and couldn't keep it together. “It has been difficult. I have kept this in for so long.” “I have tried to be strong for my family and his family but I don’t know how to put into words how I feel.” He'd been with Bradley again only a few days before. “It was tough to see him suffer like that.” Bradley died on the 7th of July 2017, aged six. His mum Gemma wrote that he had gone “with the angels” in his mammy and daddy's arms, with his family all around him. Defoe shared his own message afterwards. “Goodbye my friend, gonna miss you lots.” “I’ll never ever forget the way you looked at me for the first time, the genuine love in those cute eyes.” “Your courage and bravery will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life.” A week later, Bradley's funeral took place in County Durham. The family asked mourners to wear football shirts, because cancer has no colours. Defoe left Bournemouth's training camp in Spain to be there, and walked behind the cortege through the streets alongside Bradley's family. “He taught me to appreciate life and the people around me so much more.” “He changed me, my whole perspective.”