A young Irish boy who was bullied and struggled to make friends received a kind letter from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp telling him he will 'never walk alone'.
Luke Carey-Boyle, nine, has a sensory processing disorder - which makes coping with change very difficult.
He recently had to switch schools and is struggling to find friends among children his age.
But when Luke told his dad Oliver about being bullied while playing out in his area, Oliver decided it was time to show how loved and important his son is by contacting the Reds manager.
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Oliver told the Irish Mirror: “Luke has sensory processing disorder, which is a mild to severe learning difficulty and he can struggle to reach the same levels as others his age.
“His school in Dunboyne [County Meath] has always been amazing but we knew it would be unfair to Luke and everyone to let him struggle on in mainstream education and we were extremely lucky to secure a place in Navan.
“Change for him is a big deal. So on top of telling him, he’s changing school, he gets bullied by kids while out playing and he is devastated when this happens and wants to know why no-one will play with him.
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“It’s absolutely heartbreaking to hear Luke ask me and his mum Caitriona if he has disabilities.
“He is such a terrific boy and is so loving and helpful with his four-month-old brother Ben.
“I wanted to show him how important he was and boost his self-confidence so I got in contact with friends and family who sent lovely messages of support
“Some days, he feels down and when this happened, I got the idea of writing to Jurgen Klopp with our story, not really thinking I’d hear back.
“I’m a huge Liverpool fan and so is Luke.
“When I got a message from DHL last week to tell me of an impending delivery, I really hadn’t a clue what it was.
“Then it arrived and we couldn’t believe it. Luke was delighted.
“Jurgen is an absolute gentleman and just pure class to send him this. It makes him realise that he is normal and no-one is made the same.
“We are all unique and special and I think he is starting to slowly believe in himself.
"Sometimes, all it takes is a small message from a hero or a leader to make all the difference in a little boy’s life.”
Jurgen Klopp's letter
The letter states: “Firstly, I hope you don’t mind me writing to you. I just want to let you know that everyone in the Liverpool family is supporting you right now.
“That is obviously a lot of people and there are times when I stop and think about how many people are supporting the players and myself, it can blow my mind a little bit but the fact that we all stick together is what makes this club really special.
“I hope that on this occasion they will not mind that I speak for them when I say that we are all with you.
“This isn’t just a saying either, it is something that really matters.
“When I hear my players talk about what helps them when times are tough, one of the things they all say is that the backing of the club and the supporters make a real difference.
“The other thing they say is their own family matters more than anyone. I probably don’t need to say this to you, though, because I have been told that you have a brilliant family around you.
“I have enclosed a teddy bear. I hope you like it.
“You’ll never walk alone."
