Finlay with his parents on ITV’s GMB show
(Picture: ITV)A young football fan with cerebral palsy has told of his delight after Jack Grealish honoured a promise to him to dance after scoring in the World Cup.
Grealish had promised Finlay Fisher he would perform the dance after the 12-year-old fan wrote to the star upon learning his sister Holly had the same condition.
After scoring the sixth goal against Iran on Monday, the star kept his word by running to the sideline and stretching out his arms, wiggling them from side to side.
Speaking on ITV’s GMB programme on Tuesday, Finlay said: “I was just waiting for Jack Grealish to score and there it was. I was just so excited. At first I thought he would forget.”
However, the young football enthusiast had initially feared he would not even be able to watch the game - because he had to go to A&E for an injured leg.
“I hurt my leg in the morning, and I had to sit in A&E for two hours, and I was like, ‘C’mon let me out, let me out,’” he told the programme.
The game, which England won 6-2, began just 10 minutes after Finlay arrived home from hospital.
The avid Man City fan had originally written to Grealish explaining how the midfielder is his favourite player for his actions on and off the pitch.
The star then wrote back to the youngster with a signed shirt, but went above and beyond by surprising him with a visit at the City Football Academy in Manchester, where Finlay plays every Monday as part of the disability football team.
Speaking about why he wrote the letter, Finlay said: “I wanted to meet Jack Grealish because his sister also has cerebral palsy so he knows what it’s like, so I really wanted to get advice from him and see him and it really made me happy when I finally met him.
“You face lots of challenges every day, it’s like you have one hand to do everything all day. It can be tiring, but eventually you do it. You have to work around it and I do that.”
Upon meeting earlier this month, the pair hugged and Finlay asked Grealish if he would celebrate his next goal by doing ‘the worm’.
But Grealish confessed he couldn’t do the worm, and so the pair came up with their own unique dance for the England forward to perform.
"I'll do a little celebration for you, alright?” he told Finlay. "What would you like me to do? First of all I've got to try and score. I've only scored once this season.
"So I'll try and score, and if I do, I'll do it for you. But I can't do the worm, I'll get injured!"
England are next due to face off against the USA on Friday at 7pm.
Gareth Southgate’s team will then play their final group stage fixure, against Wales, at 7pm on Tuesday November 29.
