A football mad schoolboy met his hero after impressing him with his determination.

Jack Carter wrote to Newcastle United in the hope of meeting his favourite player, Papiss Cisse, when he went to see the match against Chelsea on Saturday, February 2.

The night before the game the eight-year-old found out Cisse was so impressed with his request and an earlier painting he had sent that he would get the chance to meet the striker before kick-off.

The Teddington boy said: “Really I couldn’t believe it when they told me I was going to meet Papiss Cisse. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. I hadn’t worked out what I was going to say to him.

“When I got to meet Papiss he was so kind to me and gave me a huge smile and said hello and I said bonjour.

“He didn’t speak much English as he is French, but he made me feel special and signed my Newcastle shirt and then everyone took lots of photos.”

The St John the Baptist School pupil, his sister Molly, 12, mother Siobhan and father Matthew thanked the team and Cisse for an amazing experience.