Papiss Cisse Thanks Welcoming Four-Year Old Newcastle Fan With Surprise Home Visit – Given Easter Bunny For His Troubles
By Chris Wright
The story goes that, back in early February, four-year old Sam Livingstone made Newcastle newbie Papiss Cisse a ‘Welcome to Newcastle’ card at school (while he should have been making his Mum a Valentine’s Day card) and sent it to the Senegalese striker.
Cisse received the card at Newcastle’s training ground shortly thereafter and was so taken with the gesture that he sought to arrange a surprise trip to visit Sam and his older brother Jack last Saturday morning (the latter of whom was celebrating his seventh birthday on that very day) with the boys’ father.
Cometh the day, cometh the man. There was a knock on the door of the house in Bedlington and the rest, as they say, is heart-warming.
Sam told the Evening Chronicle:
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when Dad told me and my brother Jack to go and see who was at the door. Papiss Cisse was standing there, that was amazing. That just doesn’t happen.
“He came inside, brought us some really great gifts and then showed us his car which was amazing. It was brilliant!”
Papiss said:
“The welcome I have received in Newcastle has been incredible and I thank everyone who has helped me settle in. Going to see Sam and his family was just my way of saying a special thank you to a young fan who showed genuine kindness in welcoming me to a new country and new club.
“I must thank Sam and Jack also for the Easter bunny they gave me, it was very nice.”
Awesomeness to the power of awesome.
Via Chronicle Live (follow the link for more photos of Papiss and his new pals)
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I have a new hero.
Fabricio Coloccini has shrunk a bit hasn’t he?
Didnt Alan Pardew say he doesnt speak English? So how did he organise it with the kids dad and speak to them?
@Monkey: I imagine there may have been a few intermediaries.
This guy is all class, on and off the field.
What a guy. If I was a footballer I’d do stuff like that all the time. Well, not all the time but a lot. What else is there to do after training? Half an hour on the way home or on the way to Tesco, pop in and make some kid’s day.
What a nice gesture, yet it will go completely overlooked compared to the idiotic pseudo-antics of Mario Balotelli. This is my idea of what a footballer should be, not some adolescent tomfoolery merchant. Respect Papiss.
Respect to Papiss. Good lad.
He played a SC Freiburg for a while – a decent German club with decent manners and some rather nice fans who also liked him a lot :)
Great he is liked at Newcastle as well!
Good to see every football isnt like Diouf, Cole, Terry, Suarez etc
Now that’s a class act right there
Cissé, I love you brother.