Local schoolboy walks out at Wembley with one of his heroes

Bradley Stoke schoolboy Alex Okoye (centre), player escort at the 2017 FA Cup Final.

Sport-loving local schoolboy Alex Okoye, aged 11, could hardly believe his good fortune to be selected to be a player escort (mascot) at the Arsenal – Chelsea FA Cup Final at Wembley on 27th May.

Like most young boys his age, Alex enjoys a good kick around on the football pitch. He plays basketball for Bristol Flyers, enjoys athletics and is captain of his Year 7 rugby team.

Alex, who attends Bradley Stoke Community School, said:

“It was a remarkable once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“When my Dad told me we had won two tickets to Wembley and the chance for me to be a player escort for Arsenal, I could hardly believe it. We have supported Arsenal in my family all my life.”

“The Emirates [Stadium] and the FA were really generous too. They put us up for two nights in a hotel in Kensington so we could arrive early to enjoy the build up to the game and enjoy the celebration at the end of the match.”

“Walking out at Wembley in front of nearly 90,000 people with millions of people watching on telly around the world was amazing. The roar from the cheering fans as we walked on to the pitch was deafening and you could feel the heat from the pre-match pyrotechnics.”

“What made it even more unbelievable for me was to walk out with one of my favourite players, Mesut Ozil. I was completely starstruck. I had a chat with him in the tunnel and he was so nice.”

“To top it all off, Arsenal played really well and won the match 2 -1 to lift the FA Cup. A fantastic result!”

“It was great to be there cheering on the lads with all the fans. It has made me want to work even harder with all my sport.”

Bradley Stoke schoolboy Alex Okoye (extreme left), player escort at the 2017 FA Cup Final.

Top photo: Alex, in the centre, accompanies Mesut Ozil of Arsenal. Above: Alex and Mesut Ozil on the extreme left.

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