Brave boy meets heroes at Wolves

A brave Shropshire teenager is on top of the world today after a surprise meeting with his footballing heroes.

Joseph Anderson, 13, suffered horrendous burns when, at the age of two, he fell into a bath of scalding hot water.

Check out Joseph's day at Wolves in the gallery below.

He suffered 76 per cent burns to his body and spent almost a year in hospital. Only earlier this month, Joseph endured a skin graft and he faces more as he grows.

But the teenager has become an inspiration to many, showing how even the worst of times can be overcome. In 2002, he was named Britain's Child of Courage at the Pride of Britain Awards.

One family friend, who has been so impressed by how Joseph has coped, decided she wanted to do something special for the Wolves-mad fan.

Pauline Harris, of Bridgnorth, contacted Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club to arrange a visit to meet the players.

And yesterday, the surprise was revealed to Joseph, when he was taken to the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground in Wolverhampton by his mum, her partner and his older sister, Francesca.

The day was made extra special for the youngster when Wolves manager Mick McCarthy took his jacket off and handed it to him.

Joseph, a pupil at William Brookes School in Much Wenlock, said: "It was the best day of my life. The best part was meeting Mick McCarthy and he gave me his jacket. I'm going to wear it.

"It was great meeting all the players. I've watched 11 games in the last season."

Mother Vicki Anderson, 42, of Broseley, said: "He was just speechless. He was beaming.

"He was watching the players train and one by one they came up and said hello to him and signed stuff for him. He said it was the best day ever and he's not stopped smiling since.

"When Pauline told me what she'd done, I was taken aback. It's absolutely lovely.

"He's just had a skin graft and he's in a lot of pain but he just gets on with it. I'm very proud of him."

Vicki's partner, Clive Bailey, said: "He will talk about this for the rest of his life. He did not know a thing before we got here and the look on his face was a picture."nextpage Joseph Anderson