This Life

Anthony Madelso (aged 10) World Cup mascot

How did you get to be a mascot?

I was at McDonald's for my friend's birthday and we had Happy Meals: hamburgers and chips. That's not my favourite food, though. I like fruit and veg. My very favourite is carrots; my grandad's always giving me bags of them. I don't like passion fruit, though. Anyway we filled out the coupons on the boxes to enter the competition. You could choose which round of games you wanted to go for and my dad said put one of England's group games because then I'd definitely be with an England player.

How did you hear that you had won?

Two months before the World Cup I was round my auntie's house and my mum brought the letter round. It said we'd be going to the England v Sweden game. I couldn't sleep that night. I was dead excited. I had to get special permission from the headmaster to miss school.

Who did you take?

Well my sister's not bothered about football, she prefers shopping - although she used to fancy Steven Gerrard. My dad was the one who got me to the game. He's a car valeter. He was dead chuffed.

Did you mind which player you walked onto the pitch with?

I'm from Liverpool and my favourite player is Gerrard, so I was really hoping to get him. But when the players came out the dressing room I realised that Gerrard was on the bench so then I didn't care who I got. I didn't mind Ashley Cole, although he didn't say anything to me, he was just focused on the match. But Jamie Carragher was behind me and he was chatting away, seeing if I was all right.

How did you feel walking on to the pitch?

I was thinking about all the hundreds of thousands of people there. And all the flashes of the cameras going off. I was dead nervous. But I'd already checked my shoelaces were tied to make sure I wouldn't trip over. It was dead brilliant. Afterwards I went up in the stands to watch the game with my dad.

You also met Geoff Hurst?

All the English mascots played a match against the Swedish mascots, and the England manager was Geoff Hurst. I knew who he was because my grandad is always going on about him. I wanted to call my grandad to tell him, but my dad's mobile wasn't working. We lost 2-1 to Sweden, but I scored so I was proud.

What did you think of Germany?

I didn't think it was going to be very nice, but it was really hot there so when we came home I was sad because it was cold in Liverpool. When I got back to school everyone was asking me questions about it all day. They were all made up for me that I'd gone.

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