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A group of dedicated Merseyside nurses got the festive shock of a lifetime when Everton boss Roberto Martinez gatecrashed their surprise tour of Goodison Park.

The Blue-nosed nurses, who had been invited to the club’s stadium under the pretence that their hospitals had put them forward to attend a corporate event, had no idea of the surprise in store.

Expecting to be attendees at a conference, the 28 special guests were instead whisked away on a stadium tour by Blues legend Graeme Sharp.

Then, as the party reached the first team dressing room, they were greeted by Martinez – who stepped out from his office to break the news that they were Everton’s latest Blue Heroes.

Martinez told the nurses they were all invited for a special three-course dinner in the Dixie Dean Suite to reward them for their dedication to caring for the region’s most vulnerable.

Each of the nurses was presented with a special gift from the manager and a Blue Hero award.

Martinez said: “It’s one of those days that we, as a football club, are so proud to be able to give some good feeling back to many, many special people.

"What they do on a daily basis is so important and so vital for everyone in the community, for everyone in the city and Merseyside as a whole.

“For us to highlight many Evertonians that are special with their commitment and time on a daily basis and affecting so many families in the right manner and in special times is wonderful.

"Working in a hospital is a significant time for anyone, it always shocks you when you have to be in a hospital and people like the Blue Heroes that we recognise today make that time different and what they give back is quite unique.

“We’ve been delighted to be able to recognise them for what they do and wish them a very special Christmas.”

The surprise was the latest in the club’s Blue Crimbo campaign, which sees Everton recognising some of the most deserving members of the local community.

Each hospital in the region was invited to nominate Evertonian nurses who deserved special recognition or those who will be spending Christmas caring for people in need.

Among the 28 nominees was Mandy Cunningham, senior ward manager at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

A lifelong Blue who proudly displays an Everton calendar on her ward, Mandy will be on call this Christmas Day.

She said: “We didn’t even know what we were coming to Goodison for so it’s been such a really big surprise. Everyone has made us so welcome, it’s been a lovely experience.

“Working over Christmas and on Christmas Day is part of the nursing role so we all try to do it fairly so that we can spend as much time with our families. We all have to take that into consideration but patient safety and patient care comes first.

“Roberto was so charismatic and lovely. He thanked us all for our hard work and achievements over the year. The food was wonderful, everything was.”

Mandy was nominated by senior staff at the hospital after a particularly difficult year.

Helen Ferns, who put Mandy forward for the surprise, said: “Mandy and her team have had a particularly tough time over the summer.

"They’ve been looking after a close colleague who has not been particularly well and because they have the teenage and young adult unit on their ward too, they’ve had some particularly emotional times.

“Mandy has gone above and beyond so this was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate that the hospital recognises the work that she does.”

The nurses were kept in good company throughout their special dinner with Everton ambassadors Sharp, Ian Snodin and Graham Stuart.

Mike Roberts, interim ward manager at University Hospitals Aintree, was nominated for always ensuring he is on duty over Christmas to give his colleagues as much time as possible with their families.

He said: “It’s been a real surprise. It’s really good of Everton to do this for us, but we didn’t have any idea what was going to happen.

“We’re the lucky ones that have been invited here today but there’s thousands of nurses that do the hard work we do.”