Lying up in the tunnel alongside the likes of John Terry and Steven Gerrard was a childhood dream for millions of fans.
Enjoy those lucky ones who were chosen as mascots on a day they will never forget.
One such mascot was very memorable ahead of Chelsea ‘s game against Liverpool in February 2006.
The Blues were champions and won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Hernan Crespo and William Gallas.
But ahead of a kick start, the feeling was full of weather and Gerrard was preparing for one of the biggest games of the season.
What he said next, in his own history, was the only time he smiled in the tunnel before a game.
Gerrard was chewing on his mascot
The Chelsea mascot, who died in blue hair for the incident, gave the Liverpool legend a name but as Gerrard shook his hand, it left him hanging. Great.
That boy was named Jake Nickless – and he ‘s a name you might want to make a note of, because he’ s definitely doing it in football himself.
Nickless told SPORTbible that it was his father who thought of the cup, which instantly alerted him and even led him to media interviews at just five years old.
“I remember my father putting up with it,” he said.
“I kept saying I wasn’t going to do it and I think he finally believed it, so he stopped.
“But the moment I was just excited and wondered why. I knew the game was on TV too and there were a lot of people watching, so I gave it some fun.
“Gerrard and I didn’t talk at all, all I said was ‘Gerrard!’ to get their attention.
“I remember Claude Makelele and Michael Essien laughing at what happened, and John Terry gave me a pat on the head afterwards, when I walked back to hold his hand.
“I think everyone was funny … except Stevie G.”
What is it up to these days?
Nickless is now 20 years old – doesn’t time fly?
His love of football has not waned and he has carved his own path in the non-league game, spending time with the South National League side and the hipster favorite Dulwich Hamlet minnows.
After that, he went to Billericay Town, which was at the time managed by Jamie O’Hara, a Tottenham midfielder.
O’Hara was very popular after being sued and awarded a contract in August 2020.
In December last year, he took part in a community Christmas gift giving campaign.
So if you live in Essex, you may have accidentally knocked on the door from the myth that left Gerrard red – faced years ago.
Of Gerrard ‘s disappointing times against Chelsea, this may not have been the worst, never mind …
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