Brave Bradley Lowery to be England mascot in World Cup qualifier

Football fans nationwide have been touched by the story of heroic Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery. 

The five-year-old, rarely seen in public without a smile on his face, has a rare terminal cancer and is is undergoing treatment to prolong his life as much as possible.

Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery in County Durham, has been a mascot for both Sunderland and Everton in the Premier League, and now the FA has announced that he’ll lead England out for their World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on March 26. 

This comes after the devastating news that Bradley has developed a new tumour at the bottom of his back. 

Over 160,000 people follow Bradley’s Facebook page, which is updated regularly by his family. He was recently visited in hospital by the Sunderland team – an ongoing friendship with striker Jermain Defoe is particularly heartwarming – and he won Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition in January.

(Main image credit: REX)