Young supporter Charlie Hughes could barely contain his excitement after welcoming new signing Kalvin Phillips to West Ham United during a heart-warming reunion with the England midfielder.
Fourteen-year-old Charlie, who has a rare cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, first met Phillips in the build-up to the Hammers’ home Premier League clash against Manchester City earlier this season, having been invited by the Club to watch his first ever live football match with his family.
A clip of their interaction quickly went viral on social media, and despite Phillips then being an opposition player, he made a long-lasting impression on Charlie who has since been a huge fan.
Kalvin meets a familiar face in Charlie ❤️ pic.twitter.com/80P1dezVnK
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 26, 2024
Phillips’ loan arrival at London Stadium was therefore the perfect opportunity for the pair to get reacquainted, and after being kept in the dark about the transfer before the new Irons’ No11 greeted him pitchside, Charlie later summed up his emotions.
He said: “It’s been crazy! It was a complete surprise - my dad told me the day before that we’d been invited to the stadium, but we didn’t know what we were coming for.
“It’s January, so I thought it might be a signing, and when Kalvin came around the corner I couldn’t believe it.
“I met him back in September, when I was sat on the side watching the players warming up. He came over and chatted to me, which was really nice. It was a special moment, on a special day, and seeing him again was amazing. What a signing!”
After receiving a signed Phillips shirt, and taking plenty of photographs, Charlie and his dad Luke watched on behind the scenes as Phillips recorded a special episode of Iron Cast with co-hosts Chris Scull and James Collins.
Luke added: “It’s been another truly memorable experience. I received a really exciting email about coming to the stadium, and of course when I asked Charlie about it he didn’t think twice.
“When you get people like Kalvin going that extra mile, going up to Charlie and spending time with him, it just makes a such a huge difference. It’s a great boost, and it certainly gives him something to tell his friends and family all about back at home!”
