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Home / Sport / Football

Young Gunners fan lives dream

By Scott Yeoman
NZ Herald·
5 Apr, 2015 05:30 PM2 mins to read

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Jonny Evans, 11, with his favourite player, Alexis Sanchez. Photo / Arsenal Football Club / David Price

Jonny Evans, 11, with his favourite player, Alexis Sanchez. Photo / Arsenal Football Club / David Price

NZ schoolboy leads his heroes on to London pitch.

A young Auckland football lover is the envy of Arsenal fans the world over after leading his heroes on to the Emirates Stadium pitch in London against arch foes Liverpool.

And it was all thanks to his gran.

Jonny Evans is an 11-year-old Kohimarama Intermediate School pupil who plays for the Eastern Suburbs Football Club.

He was chosen from more than 33,000 youngsters to become Arsenal Football Club's mascot during the Gunners' Premier League clash with Liverpool on Saturday.

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Jonny led the team on to the field for the kick-off in front of a sell-out crowd of 60,000 football-mad fans.

The Gunners responded with a resounding 4-1 win, taking them to second on the table behind Chelsea.

Jonny said the experience was "amazing" and "incredible" and was made better when his favourite player scored.

"It was a great game, especially because [Alexis] Sanchez is my favourite player and he scored a really amazing goal.

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"The experience was amazing because I got all the signatures, actually met all the players, got to walk out with them - it was really fun."

Jonny's father Gareth, and his father before him, were life-long Arsenal supporters and Jonny has been a Junior Gunner - Arsenal's youth membership -- since he was 5 years old.

His grandmother in the UK has renewed his membership every year since he moved to New Zealand with his family.

He travelled back to the UK for the match and as well as leading the players onto the pitch, he also got to meet men from the first team squad including Arsenal captain on the day Per Mertesacker, goal-scorers Hector Bellerin, Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and man of the match Mesut Ozil.

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He even posed for photos with the footballing heavyweights.

Jonny said he was grateful to his grandmother for helping his dream come true.

Arsenal Football Club communications manager Charlotte White said: "Jonny had a great time and led out the team really well. He got to meet lots of his favourite players as well. I'm sure it will be a day to remember."

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