"Alright, let's go." I say, my right hand tightly holding on to Lenny's much smaller one as we start walking out of the players tunnel and enter the pitch.

Tonight I'm playing at Soccer Aid for UNICEF for team England, and I managed to convince the organizers to let me take our six-year-old son onto the field as my player escort. Lenny was born in 2019 after two years of us dating, and he's just as football obsessed as his dad; if not even more. He's wearing a football uniform basically 24/7 and if you don't know where to find him, look out for him in the backyard, and I promise you'll find him there, kicking a ball. Walking out here together tonight is like a dream come true for both of us, and I can't put into words how proud I am of our little lad for being so brave and walking out here in front of so many people and cameras. We usually keep our family life out of the limelight, but I couldn't refuse him to experience this special moment together, this will be a core memory for both, him and I, for the rest of our lives.

I feel his little hand tighten the moment we enter the pitch and come into view and the entire stadium immediately starts screaming and cheering for us. "Look at all these people, Lenny! They're all cheering only for you." I almost shout over the music playing and the crowd going wild, as he keeps looking around with wide eyes.

"That's fookin' amazin', Dad!" Lenny shouts after a few more seconds of looking around and taking in the atmosphere in the stadium, and I can't help but cackle a laugh and shake my head — I have absolutely no idea who he gets those swear words from, must be you — obviously. Well, let's just hope his little outburst hasn't been caught on camera, and if it was, no lip-reader ever comes across this moment.

We stand behind an advertising sign to take a picture, and then we walk over to do the traditional handshakes with the referees and the players of the opposing team, the World's XI. After that, it's finally time for Lenny to leave the pitch and watch the game with you from the touchline.

I lean down to Lenny and point a finger towards you, to show him where to run. "See mummy over there? Go and watch the game with her, yeah?" I tell him, and once he spots you standing at the touchline, he eagerly nods, before he looks up to me. "Ey up, gi' 'em a right good hiding, Dad!" Lenny calls out and lifts his hand, ready for me to give him a high five, which I immediately do with a laugh, before I watch him run over to you. Maybe he doesn't only have my tendency to swear, at that.