Children cruelly affected by cancer were left speechless and beaming at Leeds United on Tuesday as Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips and Joe Gelhardt surprised them at Elland Road. Yorkshire Cancer Research, the club’s official charity partner, was invited by the Whites to bring in a group of children and their families to the stadium for a tour, lunch and a rare chance to meet their idols.
After taking in the sights and sounds of the ground, they posed for pictures in the southwest corner where the United stars emerged from behind to surprise them and join them for photos. Gelhardt spoke ahead of meeting the young fans and their parents.
“It’s important for us to be involved and hopefully we can put a smile on their face,” he said. “They’ve been through some hard times, so to put a smile on their face and hopefully make their day better, or even their week or month, that’s what we’ll do and I’m happy to be involved.”
