A boy who has spent most of his life in hospital was given a dream come true when his football hero came to visit.

Noah’s Ark Hospice, in High Barnet, is currently celebrating its first year of partnership with Tottenham Hotspur FC.

To commemorate the anniversary, they invited midfielder Mousa Dembélé to meet 10-year-old Alonso Tarazhi, who was born with his bowel outside his body.

The pair spent the day talking football and on Sunday (Mar 5), Alonso will walk on to the pitch at White Hart Lane with his favourite football team.

Mousa said: “I am very happy to see a very positive little man – I feel his energy.

“He is a nice kid so my advice to him is to stay like he is, with a smile all the time as a happy kid – stay like this.

“As a football player it is unbelievable you can make people happy to just come and give a bit of your energy – it’s one of the nicest things there is.”

Alonso’s mother Enkelejda Tarazhi has been supported by Noah’s Ark all of her son’s life as he has been moved from hospital to hospital.

She said: “We have been with Noah’s Ark since 2007, we were one of the first families with them.

“We didn't have anybody, my family is all abroad.

“Alonso has been so long in hospital and he didn’t have these kind of happy times so this is important to us, for him to have a smile on his face and be excited.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s partnership with Noah’s Ark has allowed several children to meet their football heroes.

Fans of the club have also helped raise the money needed for a paediatric palliative care nurse and a specialist carer for a full year, as well as cover the cost of a social day for all the families who use the hospice.