England vs Iran: Jack Grealish keeps his promise

Jack Grealish broke into a celebratory dance to keep his promise to a young fan

England delighted its fans with a goal-fest by beating Iran 6-2 in its opening Group B encounter on Monday. The Three Lions saw five different goalscorers on the night, including midfielder Jack Grealish who scored the sixth goal in the 90th minute. While Grealish's strike did not make an impact on the result, it would have made a huge difference to a special fan.

For you Finlay pic.twitter.com/BomJEA0oy6

— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) November 21, 2022

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Eleven-year-old Finlay, who has cerebral palsy, met the Manchester City midfielder earlier this year in a community programme, organised by the English Premier League, and asked him to do a 'worm dance' celebration at the World Cup. Grealish responded to Finlay saying: "First of all I've got to try and score, then I'll do it for you, but I've only scored once this season. "I'll do it for you, I promise, next time I score."

And the midfielder kept his promise, in the second half against Iran. Grealish came on as a substitute in the second half and arrowed in a close-range finish to score England's sixth and final goal on the night. Grealish then broke into a worm-like dance to keep up the promise he made to Finlay, and later even tweeted about it.

Manager Gareth Southgate also acknowledged Grealish's gesture in the post-match press conference, describing him as a "lovely human being" who is "very aware" of the impact he can have.

Cerebral Palsy is a very personal issue for Grealish as his younger sister suffers from the same medical condition. The midfielder is a huge advocate for raising awareness of this condition and has highlighted the close bond he shares with his sister.

"It is my dream to meet you in real life. Imagine meeting your idol."@ManCity mad Finlay wrote an emotional letter to his favourite player and hero, @JackGrealish. What followed was a moment he'll never forget. pic.twitter.com/qpdPnrMNLD

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— Premier League (@premierleague) November 9, 2022

England delighted its faithful fans by beating Iran 6-2 at the Khalifa International Stadium but the biggest moment for young Finlay would be watching his hero on TV scoring a goal and doing the celebration he asked for.