A care home resident had his lifelong dream fulfilled when he met a professional footballer.

Patrick Daly, who lives at Challoner House in Eastleigh, had always wanted to meet a footballer.

Staff at the home contacted several local football clubs to see if they could help make this dream a reality.

Southampton FC defender and club captain Jack Stephens heard about Patrick's wish and decided to visit him.

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Challoner House resident Patrick Daly had the chance to meet Southampton FC defender and club captain Jack Stephens (Image: Challoner House) Patrick, who has lived at Challoner House for five months, was thrilled by the surprise visit.

He said: "I was on the verge of tears. It is such an amazing feeling to know that such a loving group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a dream – and I didn’t even ask."

During Jack's visit, he enjoyed tea and cake with Patrick and other residents.

Sarah Hayman, senior general manager at the home, said: "We believe that every moment is worth cherishing.

"We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Challoner House.

"It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true.

"It was wonderful to see how happy Patrick was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well."