Caltex Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy has helped bring a little girl’s dream to life when he walked out with her for Huddersfield Town’s match against Leicester City this weekend.
Bella, 7, had been receiving treatment for brain cancer last year when she spied Mooy running around for Australia at the FIFA World Cup.
AUSSIES ABROAD: Vukovic and Genk remain top in Belgium
READ: Socceroos centurion joins FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy tour
NEXT GENERATION: Graham Arnold looks to the future
Header image courtesy of Huddersfield Town.
Noting Mooy’s bald head was similar to her own due to chemotherapy, Bella told her father, “I like him, he is like me.”
She then started following Mooy alongside father Scott and the Terriers had possibly their keenest ever fan.
The club got in touch with her family, who are from Texas, and invited them to attend a match at the John Smith’s Stadium where she would get the chance to hold hands with her hero as Huddersfield took to the pitch.
While not a happy day results wise given the Terriers' 4-1 loss, Bella wouldn’t have minded as Mooy got on the scoresheet with a penalty.
Speaking to the BBC post-match, Mooy said his biggest fan had helped his side find the back of the net.
“We never get penalties," said Mooy.
“She gave us that luck today. I am glad she was happy that I scored."
Her father said Mooy had made all the difference as his daughter bravely fought the awful illness.
"It got blasted all over the world and found its way into Mr Mooy's inbox," Scott told the BBC.
"What has happened since is truly remarkable. I don't know if words can fully express how much seeing Aaron helped her.
"At the time, we were wig shopping and we were worried about the self-consciousness of our little girl. Completely unbeknown to him, he helped her get to the point where she felt she didn't have to wear a wig.
"He and Huddersfield have made a little Texas girl's dreams come true."