A nine-year-old football enthusiast has realized his lifelong aspiration of serving as a stadium announcer by taking the microphone at his cherished Manchester City.
Nate introduced his heroes before they took on Brentford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.
He said it was “really exciting” to take charge of the “build-up”.
Posting on X, club announcer Danny Jackson said Nate “genuinely was amazing” and “one of the most dedicated people I’ve met”.
The club mentioned that Nate, hailing from a family of Manchester City enthusiasts, harbored a longstanding enthusiasm for matchday announcing. He diligently practiced twice a day using his personal karaoke set, relying on the tunnel cam footage that the club releases after each game.
In 2023, his father Matt reached out to the club to showcase his son’s talent. Following this, Nate received an invitation to shadow Mr. Jackson before making his debut on Tuesday.
“I felt really excited when my mum and dad said I was going to do it,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.
“I found out a few weeks ago and I was counting down on my City calendar to 20 February.”
Matt said it was “amazing” to see his son whip up the crowd and read out the home team sheet ahead of the match.
He said Nate was “a one-off”, whose passion for announcing often outweighed his love of the game.
“He would much prefer to sit there watching the team coming back out on to the pitch and off the pitch and back onto the pitch and announcing that than watching the game half the time,” he said.
He further expressed that both he and Nate’s mother, Nicky, aimed to demonstrate to him that his passions could be directed in a highly positive direction.
“We believe that kids’ dreams should be within reach,” he said.
“City, to their credit, got back to us and said ‘let’s make it happen’.
“We just wanted him to get a sample, but he’s actually going to get to do it – as parents, it’s just a dream come true.”
In his message, Mr. Jackson expressed unwavering confidence that Nate would undoubtedly achieve whatever he aspires to be.
Nate’s presence proved to be a positive sign for City, as they secured a 1-0 victory over Brentford, courtesy of a goal from his idol, Erling Haaland.
Did you see our apprentice announcer last night? Check out Nate’s dream coming true! 🎤🩵 pic.twitter.com/1vgtUtIwMH
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 21, 2024