A selfless Dundee United employee has praised by his bosses for helping Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion - as the club chairman agreed to donate £10,000 towards transport for fleeing families.
Club international business manager Ricardo Cerdan, 45, recently travelled to a camp near the village of Medyka on the Poland-Ukraine border with over £2,000 of United-branded outerwear and blankets to hand out to those escaping the violence.
Together with other volunteers, he also made the journey into the western Ukraine city of Lviv to help refugees get away from Russian oppression.
He intends to go deeper into the country in the next week to ferry orphans out of artillery-struck areas to safety - with a bus named after Deacon Blue hit Dignity.
Frontman Ricky Ross - an honorary club patron - has given him the band's blessing.
Dundee United says it will contribute £5,000 towards a fundraising campaign Ricardo's colleagues have established in support of his mission - and club chairman Mark Ogren has personally pledged £10,000 of his own cash.
Speaking to the Record, Ricardo - originally from Barcelona - said he wanted to protect children from potential exploitation by criminal gangs who are using the Russian invasion to engage in human trafficking.
He said: "I have no relationship to Ukraine whatsoever - but my friend is married to a Ukrainian woman who was stuck with her two kids.
"I knew some ex-army guys who were able to help and after that decided I wanted to help get people out too.
"I went with 70kg of winter coats, blankets and footballs from the club.
"I was giving out chocolates to the kids, 20kg of them, gone in 10 minutes.
"The image of giving them footballs and chocolate - that's why I'm going for as long as I can.
"I want to go to the orphanages, and get the women and kids to somewhere they will be safe from bad people - from human traffickers, from paedophiles."
After coming back from his first visit, Ricardo concluded that he could do more - and began speaking to colleagues at Tannadice about raising cash for transport, food and medical supplies on a return trip.
He intends to buy the Dignity bus closer to Ukraine, along with a minivan to transport people and supplies. A London paramedic he befriended on the border, Adam Wiles, is helping to coordinate support on the ground.
As he is planning to stay for up to two weeks, Ricardo is also working with London businessman Toba Abiodun to arrange transport for African students trapped in other parts of the country.
He added: "People have asked me if I'm crazy - I am, a little bit, but I don't care.
"I'm not an adrenaline junkie - I don't go jumping off of bridges or skydiving.
"My mum and dad aren't happy but I think of my nephews and nieces and my colleagues' kids and ask myself, what if it was one of them walking all night in -10C cold to reach Poland?
"These people are suffering, getting bombed in Mariupol, Kyiv, Lviv, with no way to get out. We've got to go."
Ricardo has been paying for much of the aid out of his own pocket - but his Dundee United colleagues have started a fundraising campaign, United With Ukraine, to support his efforts helping the Ukrainians whose lives have been so dramatically decimated by Russian violence.
The fundraiser has a target of £100,000.
In a statement of support for Ricardo, Dundee United FC said: "His actions have touched the heart of everyone at Tannadice and as he looks to raise funds for the rescue plan, he has set up a GoFundMe page where people can assist with the fundraising.
"The Club, as well as offering yet more clothing provisions, have donated £5,000 to the cause."
Ricardo hopes that other Scottish football teams will team up with United to help the fundraiser reach its hugely ambitious goal. He says a number of players have pledged to donate to the cause.
"There's something about football in general that pulls people together," Ricardo said.
"Scottish football should be united with Ukraine."
The United With Ukraine GoFundMe page can be found here.
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