Manchester United were welcomed onto the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday by 11 'guests of honour' over the age of 60 as part of a campaign highlighting loneliness amongst older people.
The guests, all United fans aged between 61-87, benefit from their local Age UK charity and stood on the pitch to shake the hands of the starting XI, led by captain Harry Maguire, ahead of the game against Watford.
The gesture is part of United's partnership with Cadbury, linked to their 'Donate your words' campaign which encourages people to have a conversation with older people.
The campaign statistics show that in a typical week, almost 2.6 million people aged 65 and over speak to three of fewer people they know.
In addition, more than 225,000 old people go a week without speaking to anyone at all.
Director of Partnerships at Manchester United, Sean Jefferson, said: 'The Club is encouraging all fans to give a few moments of their time to speak to older people around them who might welcome a thoughtful conversation.
'Any small gesture and interaction can play a part in helping to help tackle loneliness amongst our older generation.'
Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham added: 'Loneliness is much closer to home than many people realise, and any actions like these to raise its profile is a big step in the right direction.'
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also shook hands of the 11 lucky guests, ahead of the Premier League clash at the Theatre of Dreams.