Jermain Defoe broke down on Thursday as he reflected emotionally on his relationship with six-year-old terminally ill Sunderland supporter Bradley Lowery.
Bradley, 6, suffers from the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma but Defoe has forged a close friendship with the boy and his mother Gemma.
Defoe met Bradley when the youngster was a mascot for a Sunderland game last season and the pair's relationship has captured the hearts of many across the country in recent months.
The family threw a part on Saturday, which Defoe attended, but in a statement on Wednesday, the family revealed that Bradley is close to going with the angels.