Leeds United welcome very first virtual mascot | OneFootball

Club link up with Make a Wish Foundation UK.

Leeds United welcomed a very special guest to Elland Road on Sunday afternoon through the power of an exclusive video link with captain Liam Cooper.

Elliot Metcalfe is a 13-year-old super-fan who is suffering with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue, and his one wish was to be a Leeds United mascot.

After the club was connected with the Make a Wish Foundation UK, the two parties worked hard to make his one wish come true by making Elliot the first ever virtual mascot for Leeds United.

With fans unable to attend matches due to COVID-19, a digital mascot experience was offered to Elliot and his family with a special goody-bag sent to him ahead of the match along with video messages from a number of the first-team players, letting him know they were looking forward to him being our first mascot for the 2020/21 season.

Ahead of kick-off Cooper welcomed Elliot and his sister, Verity, onto the call – introducing them to the rest of the Leeds United squad in the tunnel before making his way out onto the pitch with them able to enjoy the experience from the comfort of their home through an iPad.

On behalf of everyone at the club, we hope Elliot enjoyed his experience as a Leeds United mascot, even under the unusual circumstances, and wish him all of the luck with his treatment.

If you would like more information about the incredible work being done by the Make a Wish Foundation UK, please visit www.make-a-wish.org.uk.