In years to come, the matchworn shirts from Manchester City's Premier League title-winning comeback victory over Aston Villa could sell for hundreds of pounds, if not thousands. For one young fan at the Etihad last week, however, who has their hands on a truly priceless jersey, it's one that money will never be able to buy.
Just weeks after arriving in Manchester after fleeing Ukraine, one young boy was invited to City's final day clash and had prepared a sign to try and grab the attention of his hero, Aleks Zinchenko.
What followed was a small gesture on Zinchenko's part, but one that will leave a lasting impression on a 12-year-old who has had his world turned upside down, and 'restored his belief in the human race.'
ALSO READ: Oleksandr Zinchenko pays emotional tribute to Ukraine after Man City Premier League title win
The boy and his mum, who have asked not to be named, arrived in Manchester three weeks ago, having fled Eastern Ukraine following the outbreak of war. They were housed by Martin and his wife, from Stockport, who applied to help a family of Ukrainian refugees through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Reaching out to MEN Sport, Martin was keen to share the story of Zinchenko's gesture after the Aston Villa fixture, as he explained just how big an impact the City defender made after all the celebrations had finished at the Etihad.
"My son contacted Danny WIlson at City asking if there’s anything he could do, and he provided them with two free tickets," Martin said.
"We took him to the game, and beforehand he made a poster for Zinchenko in blue and yellow saying ‘I'm from Ukraine, please can I have your shirt?’
"We held it up in the warm-ups, Zinchenko saw it, acknowledged it, and said he’d see us at the end of the match at the pitchside. Obviously after the match there was the presentation and lap of honour, so he held it up again. We went to the bottom, ignored all the stewards trying to move us on. Zinchenko said he’d come over when he had finished a couple more interviews.
"20 minutes later, nearly at 8pm, he came over and had some photographs and spoke to the boy in Ukrainian for a few minutes. He thanked my wife and I for what we were doing for Ukraine, then took some more photos, and then he said 'wait there.'
"He went and got him the match shirt he was wearing. It was a very nice thing for him to do, he’s a genuine person, things like this should be recognised. It made a lad who has come over, been here for three weeks, he's very traumatised. He was born in Crimea and moved out of there in 2014 at the age of five. After they've had to come here, he was very withdrawn and we’re slowly getting him out, and this really helped him an awful lot."
Martin explained how the community in Stockport have all come together to help this family and other Ukrainian refugees, in any way they can. The boy is due to start school, and has already started playing football with a local team.
"Our background being Jewish is we know someone who came over on the Kindertransport. My wife’s uncle who is 94 was one of the Windermere Children. It’s in our ancestry, what was done for us - not necessarily personally but as a group of people - we wanted to pass on.
"We had the room, it was a no brainer to us. The amount of people who can’t accommodate people, but have helped in other ways. One woman bought him a £200 bicycle, another guy will buy him football boots. A group of women brought all children going to school new uniform. There was a shop where people donated all sorts, clothing, sanitary products, and they take what they want.
"It’s so sad. There’s no real way of stopping it at the moment. Nobody knows how this is ending."
As fighting continues in Ukraine - with other close family members still in the country - plans are being made for the boy and his mother to continue to adapt in Manchester. And through all the challenges that will bring, Martin was keen for Zinchenko's act of compassion - on a day that had been full of emotion for the left-back anyway - to be shared as an example of the warm welcome they have received so far.
"He knew who Zinchenko was, he is a hero," Martin added, revealing just how much those few minutes have meant to the family.
"[The boy's] English is poor, it’s more his expressions that told the story - t he fact that he was walking around the house with the shirt on all night! His communication skills in English aren’t that good, but it’s made his day. It’s given him a bit of belief in the human race which he didn’t have from where he was standing in Ukraine."
