Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe touched everyone’s hearts after he struck up a special friendship with cancer sufferer Bradley Lowery.
The footballer formed a close friendship with the little boy, who he described as his ‘best pal’, and was left utterly heart-broken by the six-year-old’s death in July this year.
So sports fans are outraged that the kind footballer isn’t even a contender for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
Bradley’s brave battle with childhood cancer neuroblastoma touched the nation and moved Jermain so much he made regular visits to the little boy’s hospital bedside.
Read more: Jermain Defoe walked behind Bradley’s coffin
The pair had grown close after Sunderland superfan Bradley became a regular mascot with the club – striking up a close bond with Jermain who was then a Black Cats player.
The pair had become such good friends that the footballer was left devastated when the six-year-old passed away, saying in an interview in August that, “He was my best friend.”
“He loved me and I loved him. He was genuine.”
And when Jermain found out that Bradley only had weeks to live, the heartbroken sportsman made regular calls to Bradley’s family.
It was this act of love and compassion that has left fans furious that the footballer won’t be acknowledged in the prestigious sports awards, that sees Harry Kane, Mo Farah and Lewis Hamilton all contenders.
Fans took to Twitter to vent their outrage about how Jermain hadn’t made the shortlist.
Read more: Jermain Defoe admits he’d like to join Strictly
But other fans argued that the awards are specifically for an outstanding sporting act and that Defoe will probably receive a special award on the night.