Leeds United man's incredible gesture leaves family in tears after young fan's unforgettable moment

The Leeds skipper took to the field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend wearing ear defenders in a show of solidarity alongside club mascot Herbie, who suffers with autism and dyspraxia. Speaking to the YEP, Dad Gary Hawker says witnessing 10-year-old Herbie – who was non-verbal until the age of six – lead the team onto the pitch reduced him to tears.

"To actually be able to walk out of a tunnel onto a pitch in front of 60,000 people with that amount of noise with the autism he suffers from is almost impossible.

"Due to his disability, we can only stay in the ground for 20 or 30 minutes. Sometimes we can only stay until 60 minutes. And now Herbie's getting really good. He stayed for the whole game which was the second time in probably five years since he's been going that we've been able to do that.

"It's not the biggest thing in the world for somebody to do, but to somebody else it is their everything. And it enables them to be able to fulfil a lifelong ambition to actually walk out onto the pitch.

“Liam got the referee to give him the ball and then the referee asked Herbie to put the ball on the spot. Liam then asked the referee if Herbie could call the coin toss. Herbie called silver and we won and Herbie said we'll stay at that end because our fans are down that end.”

Gary says he approached Cooper ahead of the game, asking whether he would be comfortable wearing ear defenders along with Herbie, to which the Leeds skipper obliged gladly. At full-time, Cooper ensured his match-worn shirt was destined for the youngster, even though he wasn’t able to hand it over in person.

"Luke [Ayling] was also fantastic with him,” Hawker says. “Stuart [Dallas] sent me a message as well. Luke gave him the match ball, and Liam sent his shirt.”

Cooper sent Gary a message, firstly apologising for the result, in order to arrange delivery of his No. 6 shirt to the family’s home in Hertfordshire, a gesture they are incredibly grateful for.

"I was 50 last week, and I can't remember the last time I cried. I stood in that tunnel and the tears just streamed down my face. When I seen him walk out with him, it was probably the most emotional [moment], more than my wedding, more than people's deaths. I've never felt emotional like that,” Gary adds.

Despite Rodrigo Bentancur late winner, the youngster’s day wasn’t soured by the result in the slightest: “He said it was the most amazing day and the most amazing experience with the most amazing person that helped him, the most he's ever been helped. Those were his exact words.”

Gary also hopes the example set by his son can inspire parents of children whose autism can be prohibitive, in settings which involve loud noise and crowds.

"It's days out, holidays and things that normal people take for granted. To go into a football stadium as an autistic child is really, really daunting, because they can't regulate the noise.

"Even if it gives others that hope, that they have an autistic child and they think they can't take their child to a football match, it proves that you can with just a tiny little bit of love and care – the staff at Tottenham were fantastic as well.”

As for young Herbie, his Dad says it’s a moment he will never forget: “He woke up three times that night. He said, 'I can't believe I did that today.'”