Their hard work was rewarded by Foundation coaches, Fred the Red and MUTV, who turned up at Kyle and Reece’s house on Saturday 5th December with a full United kit each and an iPad. The iPad contained a message from Michael Carrick, who invited them to watch the West Ham game that day at Old Trafford and to take penalties at the pitch at half time.
Foundation community cohesion manager Dawn Bracegirdle, who nominated the boys for their commitment to sessions, commented, “Kyle and Reece have been involved with Manchester United Foundation for three years and we’re delighted to give them this incredible surprise. At the Foundation we use the power of the club to motivate young people and give them opportunities to build aspirations for their futures. The boys are so dedicated, incredibly well behaved and they really deserve this reward and it’s something they’ll remember forever.”
The brothers each scored five penalties against Fred the Red on the pitch at half time, to cheers from the crowd. Reece said, “It was one of the best days of my life, because I got to walk onto the pitch at Old Trafford, and score five penalties. I had such a brilliant day, one of the best ever.”
Kyle and Reece’s surprise is part of Manchester United’s ‘Christmas Dream’ series, which has been made possible through the club’s partnership with Chevrolet. The brand uses football as a platform to tell stories of how play can impact and improve the lives of children around the world, just like Kyle and Reece.