Northern Ireland boy given hero's welcome at Old Trafford after completing charity walk

Ben Dickinson at Old Trafford
Ben Dickinson celebrates after completing charity walk to Old Trafford Credit: Twitter @Benjiballer5

An 11-year-old fundraiser has been given a hero's welcome at Old Trafford after completing a charity walk to the stadium from his home in Northern Ireland.

Inspired by his idol Marcus Rashford, Ben Dickinson's 64 mile trek in 10 days has raised enough money to provide nearly 100,000 free meals for the food poverty charity FareShare, which Rashford is an ambassador for.

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford Credit: Andrew Yates/Sportimage/PA Images

Along the way Ben, who is from Larne, met United legends Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes and was greeted at Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville. 

Ben Dickinson meets Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes Credit: Twitter @Benjiballer5
Gary Neville congratulates Ben Dickinson on his charity walk to Old Trafford

Ben said, 'Feels amazing. It's had it's tough times, it's been quite tiring at points but we're here, we've done it, it's completed and over with.

Talking about Marcus Rashford he added, 'He is my idol it's safe to say I look up to him everyday and think I just want to be like him.'

Ben was accompanied at Old Trafford by family and friends as well as Jane Gregg, the daughter of former United goalkeeper Harry Gregg.

Ben's dad, Andrew Dickinson said, 'Immensely proud of him. To do what he has done, he's just turned 11 years of age and to walk 64 miles.

'Thankfully the weather has been quite good. We had hail stones one day but other than that it's been quite favourable. To what he has done is incredible.

'He loves Marcus Rashford and if Marcus Rashford told him to swim to here from Northern Ireland he probably would.'