Players including Casemiro, David de Gea, Lisandro Martínez and Cristiano Ronaldo made dreams come true at the Carrington Training Ground for fans who suffer from serious and life-limiting illnesses.

The heart-warming event is the first one to take place since 2019 and saw supporters travel from across the country to meet their Reds heroes and watch the first team train from the balcony of the Jimmy Murphy Visitors’ Centre.

Attending his first Dream Day since signing for Manchester United, Christian Eriksen said: “Seeing the smiling faces and connecting with the fans like this is always nice. It's been good to chat with them and have some nice conversations – everyone's in good spirits.”

Club Captain Harry Maguire shared the importance of meeting fans again face-to-face: “We know how much these days mean to our club; ever since I joined the club it's been clear to me how much we do in the community and how important that is. Putting smiles on fans faces and making them happy is what it's all about. We've really missed days like this, so it's great to have fans back.”

Bruno Fernandes said: “Every time we do these days it is special. It's good to share some nice moments with them and give them a good experience. For me, as a father, this makes me really proud to do these kinds of things and make someone happy just by having my company and autograph. Knowing that it is a big occasion for them makes it really special for me, too.”

Joshy, aged 10 from Northampton, was thrilled to meet his hero Ronaldo and celebrate together after he scored his 700th club career goal yesterday. Joshy said: “I got to see Ronaldo! I did the ‘Siu’ celebration, and he did it with me and that made me really happy.”

Ten-year-old Archie from Peterborough enjoyed his once-in-a-lifetime experience: “It's been one of the greatest experiences of my life, if not the greatest. I've been a lifelong United supporter and it's always been my dream to meet the players. Antony is really kind; he gave me his match-worn shirt from the game against Everton. I didn't know what to say if I'm honest – I'll never forget today.