I HAVE rarely been moved to tears at a football match but I definitely was at Anfield on Saturday.

No, not because of Blues’ inept and uncharacteristic display, but because of the heroics of the Liverpool mascot.

He was a young lad called Mason, who has cerebral palsy. To get about the pitch he was in a frame that held him upright and allowed him to propel himself forwards.

Decked out in his Liverpool kit he was obviously in a state of high excitement because he raced around the pitch.

The lump-in-the-throat moment came when he pushed the ball a few yards towards the goal while the referee was waiting for Jamie Carragher to come to the centre circle to toss the coin.

Yet Carragher, sensing that the little boy wanted to score a goal at the Kop end, helped him push the ball towards the goal.

The Kop and all the other fans joined in and roared him towards the goalmouth where goalkeeper Pepe Reina also played the part by pretending to be ready to make a save.

Mason forced the ball over the line to a roar from the Kop that was probably the loudest of the afternoon.

He then raced to the halfway line to shake hands with referee Howard Webb.

It was a very special moment. I wonder if it made the players realise how lucky they are? Not because they earn millions of pounds but because they get to do what we would all love to do.

That is to play professional football and preferably for the club we support and to score a goal in front of our own fans.

Young Mason will never forget the moment he scored a goal in front of the Kop and I suspect neither will the Liverpool fans.

He would not let his physical problems stop him doing what he wanted to do, living the dream.

Sadly, lots of professional players take living the dream for granted, they roll around and want the doctor and physio on the pitch at the slightest contact.

We often talk about players being role models for football-daft youngsters. Well, on Saturday, I saw a youngster who was a role model for many footballers.

LEGENDARY Liverpool boss Bill Shankly once famously said that football was more important than life or death.

Well, as much as I thought he was a genius, he was talking through his proverbial Scottish backside.

The likeable Gerard Houllier is in hospital with chest pains brought on by the stress of managing at the top level.

Amazingly, I am told he is on the phone every five minutes to Gary McAllister talking tactics, etc. I admire his commitment and desire but he will do Villa a big favour by switching off and resting so he can return to the hot-seat as soon as possible.