Terminally ill Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery was visited in hospital by the club's players on Thursday.
The five-year-old, from Blackhall Colliery near Hartlepool, won December's goal of the month award and was recently a mascot at Everton.
Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2013 and his mother says he has only months to live.
Last year £700,000 was raised for him and treatment has now begun in hospital in a bid to prolong his life.
Everton pledged £200,000 to the cause in September, when Bradley was mascot for Sunderland's home fixture with the Toffees at the Stadium of Light.