Cancer survivor to be mascot for England v Serbia

An eight-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer is set to walk out with the England football squad at Wembley for the World Cup qualifier match with Serbia on Thursday.

Richard from Esher, Surrey, developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2022 and underwent two years of treatment.

In February 2024 he also lost his father to a sudden heart attack, and to cope with the loss he turned to football.

Richard, who now plays for Richmond & Kew FC U8s, said it meant "so much" to him and he was "not scared" to walk out in front of thousands of spectators.

"This means so much to me. I am really excited and it's also my first visit to Wembley," he told the BBC.

The youngster, who watches every England game and knows every player, said he dreamt of "following in the footsteps" of his favourite, Harry Kane.

His mother Diana said walking out with the players was "set to be the moment of Richard's young life so far".

"He has been so thrilled about Thursday," she said. "He's been buzzing over the last couple of days."

Richard, along with seven-year-old Darcie-Rose from Hornchurch, was selected by the Football Foundation to take the mascot spots offered to the charity by the Football Association.

Football Foundation also partners with the government and the Premier League to support local communities to improve football facilities.

Robert Sullivan, chief executive of Football Foundation, said the charity was "absolutely delighted" that the two youngsters had the opportunity to walk out at Wembley.

According to Macmillan Cancer Support, about 800 people in the UK are diagnosed with ALL each year, which mainly affects children.

Treatment includes chemotherapy, targeted immunotherapy drugs, stem cell transplant and supportive treatments.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected]or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.