Raheem Sterling joined a campaign to find cancer fighter Damary Dawkins a stem cell donor by visiting the 12-year-old in hospital on Thursday.
The Manchester City star attended University College Hospital in London on his day off in an attempt to lift the youngster, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Dawkins, a member of Crystal Palace's elite player development centre, needs a bone marrow stem cell transplant 'as soon as possible' but none of his family can provide a match.
'Damary is a bright kid, they are a very nice family and I want to do everything I can to help,' Sterling said.
Sterling is appealing for potential donors of African-Caribbean heritage to come forward and have tests. The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) are urging the public to join the stem cell register.
Damary was diagnosed with cancer three years ago and a blood test over the summer showed that he had fallen out of remission in May. He is now on a second round of chemotherapy.
ACLT's co-founder Beverley De-Gale OBE said: 'Damary is the most excited we've ever seen him. To have a Premier League champion here to help with the campaign is like Christmas come early for him.
'He's been trying to get over the fact that Raheem has come from Manchester after having a game in France earlier in the week specifically to meet him and help to find this donor.
'Damary came out of hospital last Tuesday and back here on Monday so they can start looking at his bone marrow to see whether or not he is in remission.
'He has to be in remission in order for the transplant to take place and the tests are next week. Once they have the results we have to be able to find that donor as soon as possible in order to give Damary a chance of beating this illness.'
To join the stem cell register, go to: https://aclt.org/join-the-stem-cell-register/
