Fulham celebrate goal with fan Rhys Porter, 13, after he was abused online
- Published
There weren't many dry eyes at Ashton Gate on Saturday as Fulham players embraced fan Rhys Porter in a goal celebration.
The 13-year-old goalkeeper became the centre of attention in an emotional and heartwarming moment during Saturday's 1-1 Championship draw at Bristol City.
When Aleksandar Mitrovic put Fulham in front, their players ran over to include Rhys in their celebration.
The club made Rhys an honorary member after he received online abuse because of his disability, having posted videos of his saves on social media.
Fulham responded by helping arrange for the teenager to meet one of his heroes, defender Tim Ream, on BBC Breakfast - an experience that moved Rhys to tears.
And the club got him involved again after they scored at Ashton Gate.
Ream tweeted about the celebration, saying: "Not the result Rhys Porter asked for but another cool moment shared and experienced."
Rhys also spent an afternoon with the entire squad, joining in with drills with keepers Marek Rodak and Paulo Gazzaniga, after his story captured the hearts of those at the Championship club.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
When Fulham heard of the abuse Rhys had received, they said: "Everyone at Fulham has been completely inspired by Rhys.
"We wanted to show him just how impressed we've been with both his attitude in the face of adversity, and his commitment to helping others."
Fulham are fourth in the Championship after Saturday's draw, four points behind leaders Bournemouth.