Arsenal’s Declan Rice surprises young Ugandan fan in video call 

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice delighted one of the club's passionate young supporters, Mwanje Ethan Nathan from Najjemba, in Wakiso district, with a surprise video call that has since gone viral. 

Ethan Nathan Mwanje, a 14-year-old disabled footballer captured the hearts of the Arsenal community after a feature showed him training on a dusty local pitch, demonstrating his love for the game despite being handicapped and playing with the aid of crutches. 

In his own words, the sport helps him to "overcome the evil memories" and lifts his spirits—a powerful testament to football as a force for good.

The surprise was orchestrated by Arsenal and the Premier League, setting up a live video link between the young fan and his idol, Declan Rice. 

Ethan, donning his Arsenal jacket, was visibly stunned into silence when the England international’s face appeared on screen, eventually greeting him by admitting, “Right now, even I want to cry.”

The heartwarming chat saw Ethan ask Rice about the beginning of his own football journey, to which the midfielder warmly replied that his passion started "when I could first start to walk." 

The exchange culminated in a massive gesture from Rice, who held up an Arsenal jersey and promised to have it personally signed, emblazoned with Ethan Nathan’s name on the back, and shipped all the way to Uganda. 

Rice also told the overjoyed fan, “One day we are gonna one day I am going to meet you.”

The emotional moment, marked by Ethan's tears of joy and his declaration, "I love you, Declan Rice," has garnered widespread praise on social media, cutting through the usual rivalries to celebrate a simple act of kindness that transcended borders.

It perfectly encapsulates the profound, lasting impact a simple connection can have on a young fan thousands of miles away