A brave young Spurs fan had a heartwarming encounter with some of his heroes during a special visit to our Training Centre.
Ryley Keys, eight, was born with cerebral palsy after a premature birth and was told he would never walk. But thanks to his incredible determination and commitment he disproved this diagnosis and first came to our attention in 2022 when a video of him scoring a goal in his back garden went viral.
Following that video, Ben Davies and Joe Rodon surprised him at his home and invited Ryley to take a half-time penalty kick at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during our 3-0 win against Arsenal in May of that year. Ryley also had a chat with Sonny on FaceTime from his home, showing off his own ‘camera’ celebration that our captain is renowned for.
Three years on, we invited Ryley back to our Training Centre with his family to reunite again with Ben, where the defender checked in on his progress and talked with Ryley about the importance of resilience on his journey.
And this encounter was made even more special as Ryley got to meet Sonny in person after he dropped in on their chat – much to the young fan’s astonishment and excitement. Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur and Mathys Tel also dropped by to say hello during a day Ryley will never forget.
He said: "I really had the best day of my life meeting the players. I cheer on Ben, Sonny & all the team at every home game, and now I want to make the players proud of me by working extra hard so they can see my improvement."
Ryley’s mum, Sarah, added: "To see the look on Ryley’s face meeting the players – especially Sonny – was so emotional. Since birth he has been through so much and he’s remained strong throughout. What we take for granted every day is a challenge for Ryley. Seeing his improvement over the past three years is inspiring as his parents because he’s overcoming challenges in life on a daily basis.
"Ryley lives and breathes Spurs, so having the opportunity to talk to Ben goes a long way to motivate him as he sees these players as his heroes. Thank you again to Tottenham Hotspur for giving Ryley this opportunity, it’s one he for sure will never ever forget."
Ben Davies said: "It was great to see Ryley, he seems to be absolutely flying, progressing so much, it really is amazing to see – he is a real inspiration to us all. It is not easy what he is going through, but to keep pushing and seeing him do what he is doing – it is really special."
Ryley has outgrown his wheelchair and had his physio removed, now learning to walk without this safety net. He regularly falls and even broke his nose recently, yet rarely misses a home match, underlining his exceptional courage in this battle.
You can follow Ryley’s journey here: https://www.instagram.com/the_life_of_ryley_/?__d=11