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Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has helped a terminally ill Red Devils fan fulfil one of his dying wishes.

Big-hearted Carrick spent an afternoon with the family of lifelong United supporter Tom Cooper, 28, who is suffering from a rare form of cancer after being diagnosed four years ago, report the Manchester Evening News.

The England man was filmed doing pretend snow angels with Tom's young daughter, as the family laughed in the background.

Among the ‘bucket list’ of things Tom wanted to do before his passing was to meet his United heroes.

After hearing his story, club bosses invited them to their Carrington training ground to meet some of the first-team squad.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

It was part of the club’s Christmas programme in which they provide festive surprises to fans.

Tom and his wife Tammy and daughters Tienna, eight and Zaini, five, were invited to be part of the photo-shoot for the club’s official Christmas card and got the chance to meet the squad.

Carrick presented Tom with a shirt, signed by the entire squad, and he then stayed behind to have a kick-about with the young girls and even made ‘snow angels’ in the grass with them.

Carrick tweeted afterwards: “Lovely to meet you all today, Hope you had a nice time. Not many people would get me to do that. Best wishes. MC”

Tom, 28, from Burnley, was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a cancer which starts behind the nose where it meets the throat, in October 2011 and later found out it had spread to other areas of his body.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

He said after the surprise visit: “Today has been a fantastic day.

“I didn’t know where we were going and then I saw the Manchester United sign and thought ‘Oh my God!’

“We came in and all of a sudden I heard someone say the first-team were here, they came and had some photos with me and my family, just one-on-one and it meant a lot.

“I’ve always wanted to meet the whole team.

“It was amazing and I’ve enjoyed the full day.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

“Michael Carrick even had a play with my daughter and they were making snow angels on the grass.

“I’m so glad he took the time out to play with them.

“I will cherish and remember this day, and it’s something the kids will when they’re older.”

His wife Tammy said: “(Tom) suffers every day, he has a lot of pain, a lot of tiredness and drowsiness, it’s not nice to see and obviously our two daughters have got to be around it all the time too and it’s hard for them, they’re only five and eight.

“So I know that today, making memories with me and the girls, with the team that he loves, I know he’ll be happy.”