"I can't describe that feeling": Declan Erratt-Thompson's dad tells the story of THAT heart-warming video after Sheffield Wednesday youngster makes dream FA Cup debut

The staff at Lee Thompson’s local Asda must have thought he was the most forgetful man in Sheffield when he walked into the store for the third time on Saturday morning.
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The 38-year-old wandered the aisles all-a-quiver, desperately trying to keep himself occupied. He’d worn out the carpet at home, pacing the rooms. He nipped down to the tip.

But while the fact was that he wasn’t the most forgetful man in Sheffield, he was certainly one of the most nervous. A former professional footballer himself with Sheffield United and Boston, Lee was eagerly waiting for the 3pm kick-off of Sheffield Wednesday’s FA Cup clash at Exeter City and more to the point, the potential debut of his 18-year-old son Declan.

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The youngster found out on Wednesday that he would be making the trip south initially, it was thought, to make up the numbers of a depleted squad.

But as 2pm rolled by and the young defender was named as one of only three outfield substitutes in the clash, dreams of a senior appearance all became pretty plausible.

Video footage of Lee’s tearful reaction to Declan’s coming off the bench quickly went viral after it was posted on Twitter by the account of non-league Stocksbridge Park Steels, where Lee acts as assistant manager and where the teenager played before he was picked up by the Owls.

Lee, who works as a learning manager at Westfield School, was watching at home with his teacher partner Kelly, who ironically once counted Alex Hunt among her students, and their young children – Declan’s half-brother and sister – Freya, two and Osca, seven.

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“When the TV was showing them warming up at half-time, his sister was screaming at the telly, ‘It’s Declan, it’s Declan!’,” Lee told The Star, pride bursting in his voice. “She was so excited. So my partner took a video of it.

An emotional video of Lee Thompson went viral after his son Declan Erratt-Thompson made his debut for Sheffield Wednesday at Exeter.An emotional video of Lee Thompson went viral after his son Declan Erratt-Thompson made his debut for Sheffield Wednesday at Exeter.
An emotional video of Lee Thompson went viral after his son Declan Erratt-Thompson made his debut for Sheffield Wednesday at Exeter.

“I didn’t know, but my partner decided to leave the camera running for the whole second half. I didn’t even know it was on!

“I can’t describe that feeling,” he continued. “It was weird. I’m not a softie at all! I’m a man’s man, love a tackle at the football, I’ll square up to anybody. But that feeling just came from nowhere, my heart was pounding and I didn’t know what to do.

“Wednesday took a chance at him at 16. It’s very rare that a player will get picked up that late, but he’s stepped in and it helped that he’d played men’s football before.

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“It was unbelievable. It’s every boy’s dream to get a pro appearance, but it’s something that at times you just could never have expected for Dec.

Little Declan, in the yellow, has been footy-mad since watching his pro footballer dad Lee as a youngster.Little Declan, in the yellow, has been footy-mad since watching his pro footballer dad Lee as a youngster.
Little Declan, in the yellow, has been footy-mad since watching his pro footballer dad Lee as a youngster.

“You could always tell he was a good player with the right attitude, but with everything he’d been through, you couldn’t see it.”

Never expected, because the story of Declan is no ordinary one. The Owls starlet spent time in a wheelchair as a child as he battled a rare condition that reduced the blood supply to his hip and caused enormous pain when moving.

Football-mad, it was once feared that he wouldn’t be able to take part in strenuous physical activity again. A first team appearance for Sheffield Wednesday was for many years a complete pipe dream.

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“He was coming home from school and he was at the age all he wanted to do was play football in his break and at dinner times,” Lee remembers.

Lee Thompson and his son Declan Erratt-Thompson step onto the Hillsborough pitch after the youngster signed pro terms with Sheffield Wednesday.Lee Thompson and his son Declan Erratt-Thompson step onto the Hillsborough pitch after the youngster signed pro terms with Sheffield Wednesday.
Lee Thompson and his son Declan Erratt-Thompson step onto the Hillsborough pitch after the youngster signed pro terms with Sheffield Wednesday.

“He started coming home and he was getting really upset saying his legs we hurting. At first we didn’t think anything of it and thought it was growing pains.

“All of a sudden it got worse and worse and so we took him to the hospital. They confirmed he had Perthes and he had to have numerous operations. They had to pull his femur bone away from his hip socket to stop causing the damage. That’s why he ended up in a wheelchair.

“Dec was told he would never play football again. He was five.

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“He was devastated. That’s all he ever wanted to do, he was a big Sheffield Wednesday supporter and he just wanted to play football.”

Lee was also able to clear up a little pre-match confusion over the youngster’s name.

Declan had previously been known as ‘Thompson’ during his time with Wednesday’s under-23s but chose to be listed as Erratt-Thompson on Saturday, returning to the double-barrelled name he grew up with.

Declan’s parents separated some time ago and doing so it added the name of his mother’s side of the family, which he proudly wore at Exeter.

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"When he was born he always went by Erratt-Thompson,” Lee said. “That’s what he was always known by at school, but since he’s been at Sheffield Wednesday he seems to have been known just as Thompson. He hasn’t pushed the situation.

“When he had the phone call on Wednesday to sort out his kit, he rang me to let me know he’d gone with Erratt-Thompson on the back of his shirt. I said, ‘Of course, that’s your name!’"

The Thompson footballing dynasty keeps on turning too and Lee may well be facing future nervous trips to the supermarket.

Declan’s younger brother Coby plays at Stocksbridge and is training with the first team at the age of just 14, while football-mad Osca, seen in the video wearing a Wednesday shirt, is following in the footsteps of his half-brothers and plays at Woodhouse Juniors.

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Lee said: “Osca was so excited for Declan. He really looks up to him and he was so proud of him. We all are.

“He’s not got Erratt-Thompson on his shirt yet, but I think he’ll be getting that put on now!”

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