Like most young kids, Shane Ward dreams of being a Premiership footballer.

The 12-year-old plays the game every Saturday for his local youth team, Peacehaven Under-12s, and has been an avid supporter of Manchester United for as long as he can remember.

So it was a dream come true when he ran out onto the pitch at Old Trafford as the team's mascot for their Premier League clash with Arsenal.

He said: "I couldn't believe it, it was like a dream. I still don't believe it happened.

"It was really exciting, although I was a bit scared at first. The noise from the crowd was

amazing.

"I got to play football with David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane."

Shane, of Cissbury Avenue, Peacehaven, was given the treat by family friend James Whitson who had bought it in an auction in aid of the NSPCC.

James, who accompanied Shane with his girlfriend Nicky Flemming, said he chose to nominate him because he is the biggest Reds fan he knows and because he is kind to his disabled brother Marcus, ten.

He said: "When I told him he was going to be their mascot it was a wonderful feeling."

To stop Shane's dad, Andy, missing out, his colleagues at Martello Press, in Newhaven, bought him a ticket to watch his son's moment in the limelight. Shane's mum Paula said: "It was such a big thing for him I don't think anything he is likely to do will beat it."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.