Visually-impaired boy says Grealish signed shirt and letter has ‘made my decade’
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younger visually-impaired fan who obtained a signed shirt and a letter in braille from his soccer hero Jack Grealish mentioned the shock has “made my decade”.
Ralph Mullineaux, 10, advised the PA news company he had despatched the Manchester City footballer a letter in braille expressing his admiration for him and “couldn’t believe” the presents he obtained in return.
The year-six pupil has been an enormous fan of Grealish for a number of years and wears the midfielder’s signature coiffure daily.
Ralph mentioned when he opened the bundle from the footballer: “I felt really, really happy, really lucky, and then I felt kind of special because not a lot of kids have a signed shirt from their favourite football player.”
Mother Georgina Mullineaux, 40, advised the PA news company: “I couldn’t believe that he’d got that back.
“It’s just so lovely to get such a lovely gesture from the club and from Grealish. I just hope they realise what an amazing thing that is.”
Ralph wrote in his letter to the Manchester City midfielder: “Not only do I love watching him play football, I wrote that he’s such a nice person.
“He’s really funny and I like that he understands about children’s disabilities because obviously he’s got Hollie, his sister, who has cerebral palsy.”
Grealish celebrated along with his Manchester City team-mates final weekend when the workforce gained the Champions League after securing a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan.
According to Ralph, who lives within the Cornwall village of Trispen, the letter mentioned: “We’re a football family. We’re always going to be with you’.”
He mentioned the shock has “made my decade”.
Ralph has not let being visually impaired cease him from following within the footsteps of his largest hero whereas inspiring different youngsters with visible impairment.
He has been accepted into the England para soccer VI pathway programme and can quickly be receiving his personal private improvement plan and a one-on-one coach.
Ms Mullineaux mentioned: “Obviously, trying to follow a football around a pitch when you’ve got really limited vision is tricky but now that Ralph has found a way of playing with people with a similar sort of disability, it’s a really nice atmosphere.”
The 10-year-old mentioned soccer takes him to “a different world”.
“When I’m sad, it’s the right thing to do. If I feel down about something or if I don’t feel very well, football will help.”
Ralph’s pursuit of his soccer goals is documented on his Instagram, ralphmullineauxparafootball, and he not too long ago starred in a tv commercial for the organisation Guide Dogs.
Ms Mullineaux attributes Guide Dogs with serving to her son “grow his confidence a lot more, to think that he can overcome things that he thought would be tricky”.
The organisation has given him a “massive confidence boost”, she mentioned.