'I got a message from Rodon!' - 11-year-old Leeds United centre-back gets special Chelsea invite
Leeds United defender Joe Rodon has invited a fellow centre-back to join the club for their game against Chelsea at Elland Road.
Rodon sent a video message to one of the Leeds United Foundation's Under-12s Pan-Disability players to extend an invite to be a mascot for the Premier League fixture, which falls on International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Sam, 11, has cerebral palsy and has been playing football with the Foundation for three years. Like Rodon, he is a central defender and describes himself as someone who loves to get stuck in.
"It’s so lovely that they get a chance to compete in the same way as someone who is not disabled,” said the youngster's mum Emma. "The coaches at the Leeds United Foundation make sure everybody can get involved. Sam’s found his position now and he’s such a brilliant little defender. Because of his mobility issues, it’s quite hard for him to track up and down the pitch, but he’s absolutely solid, not quite as good as Joe Rodon yet, but he’ll get there. Sometimes me and the other parents just look at each other and go, 'thank goodness for this place,' because seeing your child who you didn’t think would be able to ever be in that environment being able to participate, compete, get excited, get geared up for it, you don’t take that for granted. It just means absolutely everything."
When shown the video message from Rodon, Sam's response was to put his hands to his head and exclaim: "Oh my God, what? I just got a message from Joe Rodon."
He told his mum that his involvement with the Foundation Pan-Disability team has come with 'perks.'
“Sam has had a lot of challenges," she said. "But the positives are that doors are open, and he wouldn’t be walking out against Chelsea without those opportunities provided by the Foundation. He made me laugh. He said it comes with perks. And what a lovely way to look at it, it’s really positive."
Sam credits the Foundation and its coaches for fostering his passion for playing the sport. "I just think it’s a real pleasure playing for the Foundation and I think without them I wouldn’t have found a sport where I could play and have all those friends, I just really appreciate it," he said.
"And having this view [Elland Road] in the background, I just appreciate it all and I am really grateful. I’m grateful to the coaches, and I really like being a part of it. It’s one of the best experiences that I can have.”
A spokesperson for the club added: "From everyone at Leeds United, we thank Sam for being such an inspiration and we hope Sam enjoys his mascot experience at Elland Road, leading the team onto the pitch."