It's true! Mourinho gave his coat to a fan at Turf Moor

After climbing over an advertising hoarding to personally pay tribute to our unrivalled supporters, the boss took off his coat and handed it to 10-year-old Aidan – an Old Trafford season-ticket holder from Stretford, who has been going to games with his dad Dave since the age of five. 

Aidan was buzzing with his present from Mourinho and has been showing it off to friends ever since. We grabbed a word with his proud father Dave to get the inside story on a special moment…

Firstly, how exactly did Aidan receive Jose’s coat? 
“We were surprised, to be honest. We were in the hotspot behind the goal where it all happened, with Pogba missing the penalty and Rashford being sent off. As Jose was walking off the pitch, it looked like he was making a gesture to that same area where we had front-row seats. Jose walked over while applauding us and he handed a young lad next to us his notebook. He patted Aidan on the head and then realised there was nothing left to give him, because he also gave another young lad his water bottle. He had his coat under his arm, so he just handed that to Aidan. It all happened so quickly, to be honest, but it was great.” 

Did Jose say anything to you or Aidan?
“He didn’t really say anything as he had to stretch so he could only make gestures. He then got escorted away by stewards. The fans behind us were still chanting his name as he rolled the coat up and placed it in Aidan’s hands, so it was difficult to hear if he said anything. Aidan was sitting there and it seemed like Jose made a beeline for him. It was a great experience.” 

 

He did indeed and it was one of our gang who was the lucky Kid, nice one Aidan pic.twitter.com/AvEQ2ywA3j

— Des (@destaxi) September 2, 2018

How did you feel when it happened? Presumably your son was buzzing…
“Yeah, they were proper buzzing! Some of Aidan’s other mates were sat in other areas in the away section, as we were parked quite close to the ground. He put the coat on as we met up with them in the pub afterwards and they were a bit jealous! He was certainly elevating the showmanship and enjoying the moment, if you like! He wore the coat on the journey all the way back to Blackpool, where we were staying over the weekend for a trip away, with it being relatively close to Burnley.” 

Was anything in the pockets? Lots of people were wondering… 
“I did hear about that! No, sadly, there was not anything in the pockets. Lots of people asked to see if there was, but there definitely wasn’t.” 

What do you think of Jose’s recent praise for the match-going fans? 
“It’s good to see. The club is going through a bit of a transition period at the moment and Jose is trying his best. We might not be where we want to be, or need to be, at the moment but I think the away fans are perhaps a bit more appreciative of what he’s trying to do. Me and some of the other fans I travel to games with are part of the old generation, who were brought up when Ron Atkinson was in charge. We are where we are, but we have to get behind the team regardless.” 

There was a great atmosphere at Turf Moor and “Mourinho’s Red Army” could be heard for long periods. How would you describe it? 
“It was a good atmosphere, the fans were chanting throughout and giving Jose a lot of love. When you get the three points, it certainly helps. It’s good to see the fans supporting Jose. In general, I think the away fans will support whoever is in charge and get behind them all the way.”  

What are your plans for the coat now?
“I don’t know yet, to be honest. We might make a case for it to be displayed in. I don’t think Aidan wants to part with it. We’ve got a few bits and pieces that we’ve collected from games over the years. I’ve been going for 40 years and my dad was going for years before he started taking me to the matches. Between us we’ve not had anything like this happen. It’s great to have something like that from the manager. Aidan will definitely keep it – I won’t let him get rid of it!”

JOSE GAVE AWAY HIS WATER BOTTLE, TOO

During the latest episode of The Paddy Crerand Show on Monday night, United fan Paul – from Denton – phoned the studio to reveal his son had also received a gift from Mourinho... his plastic water bottle! Watch the video below for the full story...