Villa help nine-year-old Colton's dream come true

Superfan Colton Cook's dream came true on Sunday when the nine-year-old, who has a rare form of cancer, was Aston Villa's mascot for their home match against West Ham United.

Colton was diagnosed in February 2023 with Ewing sarcoma which has resulted in an inoperable brain tumour. 

He lives so close to Villa Park that Colton can hear the matchday roar of the crowd from his back garden at home in Witton - yet until the Aston Villa Foundation surprised him during a stadium tour last week, he had never been to a match, let alone met his heroes Douglas Luiz and captain John McGinn.

On Sunday, Colton walked out on to the Villa Park pitch with Douglas Luiz, his favourite player, and looked on enthusiastically as Villa beat West Ham 4-1, their 11th consecutive Premier League home win.

Much to Colton's delight, Douglas Luiz marked a special afternoon in style as he netted two goals to beat Dwight Yorke's record by scoring in six successive Premier League home matches.

"He absolutely loved it," his mum Kerry told the Birmingham Mail. "Especially because Dougie scored for him twice as well - he’s his favourite player.

“He was so overwhelmed with it all, his face tells the story. We haven’t seen him this happy since before he was diagnosed."

Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz was clearly moved by the occasion too, and took to social media after Sunday's match to share his support of Colton.

"It was amazing," added Colton's dad. "He was all emotional. He could not believe it, it was his dream come true."