Everton's Seamus Coleman makes classy gesture to Aussie fan whose derby dream was crushed – Football News

Everton's Seamus Coleman makes classy gesture to Aussie fan whose derby dream was crushed

Everton captain Seamus Coleman made a classy gesture to a young fan (Image: X/BBC/Getty)

Everton captain Seamus Coleman has made a touching gesture to a fan from Australia who was denied a chance to see the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in cruel circumstances.

Toffees fan Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, used his savings to make the exhausting trip from Sydney to Liverpool to watch his team take on the league leaders on Saturday.

However, the game was called off hours before kick-off early on Saturday morning as Storm Darragh hit the UK.

That left the youngster devastated after making the 10,000-mile trip all the way from Down Under, only to be met by the first fixture cancellation of the season.

His mother Rita had said there was ‘no chance’ he could save up enough money to travel to the UK to watch Everton. He proved his parents wrong by putting his funds away for safe keeping and arrived for their 4-0 win over Wolves in midweek.

“When we came back [after Easter], he said it was his dream to go to an Everton vs Liverpool game at Goodison Park.

“He saved up the money, used all his savings and said two weeks ago ‘I’d really like to go mum – will you let me go?’ I said, ‘I can’t stop you if you’ve got the money’. We’re very proud of him.”

However, after being denied his dream of watching the derby, Coleman pledged to make it up to the youngster by inviting him for a special visit to the club’s training ground at Finch Farm.

Everton FC v Fulham FC - Premier League

Seamus Coleman reached out to the young fan from Australia with a kind offer (Image: Getty)

“Hi Mackenzie, it’s Seamus Coleman here. I just wanted to send you a video message today to say I know you’ll be so disappointed today,” the Irishman said.

“I know how hard you saved up to travel from Australia for the Merseyside derby. I know you were looking forward to the experience of being at the last Merseyside derby at Goodison.

“So I’m sure you’ll be very disappointed today. We all are, we were all looking forward to the game. But we’d love to see you down here at the training ground on Monday if that’s OK with you?

“Hopefully you can see some of the lads and that will make up for the disappointment on Saturday. We can have a bit of a chat then. All the very best Mackenzie and take care.”

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Everton’s Merseyside derby clash with Liverpool was called off (Image: Getty)

It is not yet known if Mackenzie was able to stay for training until Monday, but the kind-hearted gesture from the 34-year-old will be appreciated nonetheless after a disappointing end to their trip from one side of the other.

The game had to be cancelled as a ‘risk-to-life’ warning was sent out by the Met Office, with high-speed winds topping 90mph as the storm ravaged through the British Isles. One man was killed after a tree fell during the adverse conditions.

Police had no option but to recommend that the game was cancelled, much to the disappointment of fans of both clubs and the Premier League in general, as the Merseyside derby remains one of England’s most cherished encounters the season.

The game will be rescheduled for a date later in the season, which means die-hard supporter Mackenzie may get one final chance to see the last derby at Goodison before their move to a new stadium at Bramley Dock in 2025-26.

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Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1985797/Everton-Seamus-Coleman-Australian-fan-Liverpool-Merseyside-derby