Shropshire girl's appearance of a lifetime at Champions League final
The Champions League final was an experience of a lifetime for a Shropshire youngster who led the teams out onto the pitch in Madrid.
Watched by millions of people across the world seven-year-old Isabelle Williams from Ellesmere, strode out in front of the Liverpool and Spurs players, at the side of one of the referees,
She was one of the group of children making up the official party for the game as a referee escort.
The Ellesmere primary school pupil, a Liverpool supporter, won the honour in an international competition for employees of Santander, the competition sponsors.
She travelled to Spain with her mother, Hayley who works in the bank's Shrewsbury and Oswestry branches.
“We were totally spoilt for the whole weekend,” Hayley said.
“Isabelle made friends with the other children who came from all over the world including a girl from Brazil that she spent a lot of time with. Liverpool is her favourite team so it was an incredible experience."
She said the noise as her daughter walked onto the pitch was unbelievable.
“The atmosphere was fantastic if only we could bottle it and bring it home,” she said.
After her appearance on the pitch Isabelle joined her mother in the stadium to watch the match.
The pair returned home on Sunday travelling to Liverpool with the celebrating fans.
Isabelle walked out of the tunnel into the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, the home of Athletico Madrid, holding the hand of one of the referees.
She and the other youngsters walked without a flinch as the fans erupted into a cacophony of noise ahead of the match.
She and the other referees’s escorts stood proudly in the official line-up as the teams were introduced before leaving the field of play to allow the game to start.
When Isabelle returned to class in Ellesmere Primary School she took along her official shirt and medal that she was given.
