Pride of Sport Awards 2019 recognises inspirational Young Achiever Mikey Poulli spent the evening with legendary footballer David Seaman – and the nine-year-old claims the goalkeeping great was jealous of his ponytail!Mikey Poulli scores goals every day on the school football pitch – dreaming of the day he holds a trophy aloft.

But his talent is made more impressive by the fact that the avid Arsenal fan began to go blind two years ago.

The nine-year-old not only trains with the coaches for England’s blind team but he has also been awarded the Young Achiever award at the Mirror Pride of Sport Awards, in partnership with TSB.

Mikey, who lives in North London with his dad John, 38, mum Mireille, 37, and brother Angelo, seven, says: “I was just amazed that I’d won. All my family came on the stage. I was really proud.

The best part of the evening was getting my award and meeting David Seaman. He’s an Arsenal legend.He said I was amazing and he was jealous of my ponytail because he used to have one.”

Mikey, who also picked up the award from former footballer Kelly Smith at the Grosvenor House in Central London on Thursday, was diagnosed with rod cone dystrophy when he was six.

Dad John says: “We were told he had this condition that was rare and incurable.

Doctors said people usually went blind over decades but Mikey was blind within 18 months. My wife and I were devastated.

“For Mikey it was more about football – his vision was secondary. All he wanted was to be able to keep playing.”

John and Mireille started researching ways to keep him active and stumbled across Tottenham Hotspur’s Centre of Excellence, which has a visually impaired programme – and Mikey made an impact.

John says: “His coach said he was going to call the FA because Mikey had a special talent. So when the FA were interested in him I was so proud.”

Mikey was thrilled he could continue with his sporting dream – alongside some of England’s best blind football coaches.

He says: “I was happy I could still play. They teach spacial awareness and train me with a ball that has ball-bearings in it so I can hear it.

“I’m hoping to join the squad when I’m 13 and by 16 I’ll start playing matches. One day I’d love to be like Lionel Messi – he’s a great player.

Mirror