Young Manchester United fan Anderson Pollard was recently given the all-clear following a battle with cancer and as his footballing role model was often on his mind throughout his treatment, the club organised for him to meet his hero: Alejandro Garnacho.
Seven-year-old Anderson from Redditch, Worcestershire was sadly diagnosed with a rare type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in May last year after initially being diagnosed with nothing more than constipation.
However, after going back to the GP shortly after, he was immediately rushed to the hospital for a CT scan and was found to have multiple tumours in his stomach, meaning he had to go through months of aggressive treatment including chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirations and several surgeries.
Throughout his treatment, doctors used an emergency question to check his cognitive responsiveness and Anderson’s was a tap-in: ‘Who has played with Ronaldo & Messi?’ His answer each time, without fail, was ‘Garnacho‘. When Man United learned of this, they simply had to get the two of them together.
Garnacho meets his biggest fan, Anderson, after being given the all-clear.
How lovely is this?
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His intense treatment is a lot for anyone to go through, let alone a little kid, but Anderson fought hard and was thankfully declared cancer-free on 18 September 2023. The United Foundation does plenty with local hospitals and children’s charities but they couldn’t help but reach out to the Pollard family.
As his dad Sam says throughout the video, there was pretty much only one thing on the little lad’s mind throughout his time in Birmingham Children’s Hospital and that was his idol, so when United got in touch to arrange for a visit to the Carrington Training Complex, he was over the moon.
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Little did he know it was more than just a tour around the ground and that he would be surprised by none other than Garnacho himself. Signing his shirt and gifting him a ball, the Argentine winger called Anderson “a warrior” before presenting him win Manchester United’s Bravery Award for 2024.
Garnacho didn’t just come to meet the wide-eyed young fan, he also surprised him with a Bravery Award for beating cancer. (Credit: supplied)
And the heartwarming scenes didn’t stop there either, as even before his surprise visit to Carrington, Anderson and his family were gifted tickets to go and see the Reds in person.
It isn’t the first time we’ve seen Garnacho taking time out to meet superfans either, as he also surprised another youngster with a touching gesture after the Everton game last year.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
1st February 2024 
