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The story behind our derby day mascot

Manchester United and the Premier League are set to welcome an important young fan as a mascot for our meeting with Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Seven-year-old Bobby Moore is a football-obsessed Red and has recently had the chance to meet his United hero, Bruno Fernandes, before leading the team out onto the pitch with the Portugal international ahead our 16:30 BST kick-off with City.

Bobby was born with a rare genetic condition known as spinal muscular atrophy, which requires him to use a powerchair and, such is his passion for his club, it just had to be a bright red one.

That passion shone through when the young United fan's celebration went viral earlier in the season with his ecstatic reaction to our captain knocking home one of his signature penalties.

The feelgood clip caught the attention of Fernandes, who received a letter from Bobby as part of the Premier League's Fan Mail series to learn more about the supporter's love for all things United.

Invited down to our Carrington training base to take part in a powerchair football session, Bobby's day got even better when he was surprised on the pitch by none other than his idol, Fernandes.

The captain took the young Red for lunch and a tour of Carrington, during which, he met some of the other United stars who will take to the pitch today (Sunday).

To top it all off, Fernandes repaid Bobby for his endless support by offering him the chance to be our mascot for the home derby – the reverse of the fixture which provoked the initial viral reaction.

After a special matchday experience, Bobby will take his spot in the Theatre of Dreams as we look to do pick up another league win against our crosstown rivals.

Thanks for joining us, Bobby. We hope you enjoy your day!

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