Football-mad lad Liam Priday is so in love with the game he has now watched matches at 300 stadiums – and he is just eight years old.
The young superfan spends his weekends with dad Chris travelling to grounds all over the UK.
And he reached the 300-club at the Principality stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, where he saw his beloved Manchester United beat AC Milan.
Liam, who was a mascot and sat behind the dugout, said: “It has been amazing visiting all the grounds.
“The best bits are getting to watch the football and walking out with the players when I am a mascot.”
Chris, 33, said after Saturday’s milestone: “It’s quite the achievement, there’s probably not many to have done so many in such a short period of time.”
“Liam was absolutely delighted with the day. That match and experience is definitely up there with the best.
“Though he walked out with an AC Milan player he couldn’t get much closer to his Manchester United heroes.”
Chris, who created a spreadsheet of every league and non-league ground in the UK, says it is “impossible” to work out how many miles they travelled.
But he admits spending “tens of thousands” of pounds since first hitting the road when Liam was just two years old.
He added: “I don’t want to say it’s an obsession – but it probably is.
“It’s a huge passion of ours. Getting to do this together makes it all the better.”
The pair’s longest-ever awayday was to Carlisle, Cumbria – a 700-mile round-trip from their home in Havant, Hants.
Liam, whose favourite ground is Old Trafford has also been to Wembley.
Chris said: “Liam loves ground-hopping because of how different every match day is – it’s never the same.
“Like myself, he loves to travel by train, visiting places and experiencing the culture while bonding together.”
