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Bristol City Ballboy Is Getting The VIP Treatment At The Etihad Tonight

Bristol City Ballboy Is Getting The VIP Treatment At The Etihad Tonight

He became a viral sensation following his embrace with Lee Johnson.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

The Bristol City ballboy who became a viral sensation when he celebrated the Robins' last-gasp winner against Manchester United with manager Lee Johnson in the 2-1 Carabao Cup semi-final win at Ashton Gate, is getting the VIP treatment laid out for him from Manchester City tonight.

As per the Bristol Post, 10-year old Jaden Neale and his family, which includes mum Laura, dad Michael and older brother Lewis have been invited to attend the game as part of an all-expenses trip.


At the Etihad, they will meet Pep Guardiola and his table-topping City squad, while they will also be able to observe interviews as well as having a full tour of the stadium.


His embrace with Johnson added to the memorable moment of Championship side Bristol knocking out the mighty Man United, and it propelled him to fame as a result.

And tonight he is getting the blue carpet rolled out for him, while he will be also appearing as a guest at 'City Square', where City's pre-match entertainment takes place, for the semi-final first leg.

"He is a massive Bristol City fan, so you can bet he will be the only kid there with a Bristol City kit on," mum Laura told the Bristol Post.

"Manchester City got in touch with Bristol City and it went from there. It's just a really nice thing to do for him, and we're very lucky.

"Football is his life. He loves playing for Bristol City, and he is always making stadiums out of Lego. He can't wait to meet the players.

"It is just amazing for him, and he is definitely going for a Bristol City win."

The youngster and his family have had their fair share of tough times over the years. His sister, Chloe, has juvenile dermatomyositis - a rare muscle-wasting condition that she was diagnosed with when she was five.

Though she has got better, she is in a wheelchair and has to take medication regularly.

Just six weeks after Chloe's diagnosis, Jaden's mum found out she had breast cancer and had to undergo a gruelling eight-cycle course of chemotherapy in a six-month period, before radiotherapy and a double mastectomy was used to required.

Recently, the family were hit by a tragedy last year when Jaden's uncle committed suicide.

He celebrates every goal for him - and there's no doubt he'll be celebrating wildly tonight if Bristol do the unthinkable and become the first team in England to beat City this season.

We hope Jaden and his family have a blast!

Featured Image Credit: Bristol Post

Topics: Manchester City, Football News, Carabao Cup, Bristol City, Football, Pep Guardiola