Players from Leicester City's men's and women's teams headed to the Leicester Royal Infirmary this week to visit children who are spending the festive season in hospital.
As a Leicester City tradition, the likes of Jamie Vardy, Wilfred Ndidi and Conor Coady joined women’s stars Missy Goodwin, Janina Leitzig and CJ Bott — plus many others — to tour the various children’s wards at the hospital in the heart of the city centre.
Starting in children’s outpatients and making their way through wards, including the children’s day care and high-dependency units, the Foxes contingent were there to spend time with children who may have to spend Christmas in hospital rather than at home with their families.
The club’s annual visit also brought joy to hospital staff, who often have to work long, tiring hours at the height of Christmas, treating some of the city’s most poorly children.
Filbert Fox, the club’s mascot, was also there to make the short trip from King Power Stadium to the Royal Infirmary, with sacks full of presents, funded by the club’s two first team squads.
Included among the gifts were PlayStation 5 games, sensory equipment, Nintendo Switches and games, and arts, crafts and boardgames to make the young patients’ experience at hospital more enjoyable as they receive treatment.
All children visited, meanwhile, also received a bag bursting with Leicester City merchandise, including cuddly Filbert Fox toys, pens, calendars and water bottles.
In all, the Foxes players ended the day having spent time with hundreds of children across the many wards.
Former Leicester player Alan ‘The Birch’ Birchenall said: “It makes me immensely happy to know that Leicester City continue to place such importance on this very special Christmas tradition at the club.”