Young Spurs fan with Down syndrome leads beloved team out on pitch after online abuse
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Paul Davies
The young Tottenham fan with Down syndrome who was targeted by trolls led her beloved team out onto the pitch for the final game of the season.
Ella Markham, 16, was subjected to online abuse after a video of her dancing was shared online but, with her dad Neil, refused to let anyone get her down.
Her smiles and close bond with her dad caught the nation’s attention and even led to Spurs striker Harry Kane sending them a WhatsApp video message.
He invited her to be the mascot for Tottenham’s last game of the season against Everton on Sunday – which her dad described as “astonishing” after going through a week filled with “highs and lows”.
England captain Kane shared a picture of the two together on Twitter, saying: “Amazing to meet Ella before today’s game. So positive and happy! Inspiring.”
Neil, retweeting Kane’s message, responded: “Wow! Thank you so much for making this happen. Special day for our family. England captain, spurs legend and Ella’s hero.”
He also shared a video of Ella happily dancing in the stands with her Tottenham shirt on, with the words “she’s off”.
Harry Kane had sent Ella, 16, and Neil a video message after he was moved by her huge support for the club and horrified by the way in which she had been treated.
In his message, the England striker said: ''Hi Ella, I hope you're well. "I've seen the video of you dancing at the Spurs game. I just want to thank you for your amazing support, I loved it.
"We know your family are proud of you as well. We know you're a big fan, we'd love for you to come down and be the mascot for the last game of the season against Everton.
"I hope to see you there. Keep dancing, keep doing what you're doing, lots of love."