Everton fan Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, travelled from Australia for his first Merseyside derby only for the game to be called offPhotograph: Liverpool Echo
It was not the final league derby at Goodison Park but Everton have ensured the young fan who travelled from Australia for the game did not have a wasted journey after all.
Mackenzie Kinsella, a 15-year-old from Sydney, used his savings to attend the historic Merseyside derby only for the match to be postponed four hours before kick-off on Saturday because of the impact of Storm Darragh. A rearranged date for Everton’s final league meeting with Liverpool at Goodison has yet to be decided.
After hearing of Mackenzie’s misfortune Séamus Coleman, the Everton captain, invited the supporter to the club’s Finch Farm training ground on Monday. Coleman was there to greet the teenager with a signed Everton shirt before he met the rest of Sean Dyche’s squad, including his favourite player Beto, along with the coaching team. The Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford gave Mackenzie a pair of signed gloves. Dyche invited Mackenzie to join the team huddle before the training session, that he watched, and also join a team photo.
The defender James Tarkowski has offered the supporter tickets for Everton’s game at Arsenal on Saturday. Mackenzie, whose mum is from Liverpool and who is staying with an aunt during his two-week stay, did get to see Everton beat Wolves 4-0 at Goodison before the derby postponement.
Everton, meanwhile, donated food that was to cater for the derby to local food banks and other good causes in the city with the help of volunteers from Fans Supporting Foodbanks. Everton In the Community also received items that will be used at their programmes this week.