'Pick yourself up and go again:' Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood delights upset young fan with touching letter

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has been hailed as "pure class" after writing to cheer up an upset young footballer whose junior team took a hammering.
Seb Webster proudly shows off his letter from Keiren Westwood.Seb Webster proudly shows off his letter from Keiren Westwood.
Seb Webster proudly shows off his letter from Keiren Westwood.

The Owls' shot-stopper penned young Wednesday fan Seb Webster, nine, the touching note after hearing how his junior football team Ecclesall Rangers had been thrashed 10-0 by Greenhill in their latest match.

The 32-year-old 'keeper, who sent his letter to Seb ahead of Sunday's Steel City derby defeat for the Owls, wrote: "Dear Seb, I was sorry to hear about your result for Ecclesall Rangers last week.

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"But try not to be upset. These things happen all the time.

"It happened to me at you age. I was nine, just like you and my team got beat 12-1.

"The trick is how you respond to a defeat - pick yourself up and go again."

"There's always the match you can go and be the hero in."

He signed off his message, which also included a signed photo, with the words: "Keep believing!" along with a smiley face.

The letter from the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.The letter from the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.
The letter from the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.
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Dad Simon, of Fulwood said Seb, who has played for Ecclesall for four years, was over the moon when he received the letter.

"The boys took a bit of a beating and were very upset. My dad sent a note to Keiren saying he was Seb's favourite player and what had happened and he could do with cheering up and would it be possible to get a signed photo.

"He decided to do more than that and we got the letter. Footballers get a lot of negative press these days. I thought I'd tweet him to say thank you and it took off."

In his tweet, which has been retweeted dozens of times, Simon wrote: "@WestwoodKeiren showing pure class when responding to a letter from a fan (my son) didn't have to do this but did even more #WAWAW #class."

Westwood himself might be heeding his own advice after last Sunday's 4-2 defeat to Sheffield United at Hillsborough, the first time the two sides have met in five years.