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Derry girl to be Liverpool's official mascot for cup final

Ashleigh Swan
BBC News NI
Shauna O’Carolan Girl with blonde hair wearing a red and black Liverpool Football Club jacket. She has blue eyes. Shauna O’Carolan
Hannah says she thinks it is great that she will be able to talk to the players and walk out with them

A Londonderry schoolgirl will realise a lifetime dream when she leads Liverpool out at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday.

Millions of TV viewers will watch Hannah O'Carolan, 11, emerge from the tunnel at one of the most famous football stadiums in the world with Reds captain Virgil Van Dijk.

Hannah, a member of Liverpool's Red Squad programme, a fan membership for young supporters, was chosen as the club's only official mascot from thousands of hopefuls.

"I am so excited to be mascot for Liverpool and getting to walk out with Virgil Van Dijk as he is a defender - the same as me," Hannah said.

Girl with blonde hair hold a Liverpool Football Club poster. In the background is a kitchen. Pink and white balloons are to the left of her along with a mirror behind her.
Hannah has been sent a full kit by Liverpool for the game, along with autographs from the first team, other photographs and full mascot badge

Hannah was bowled over with emotion when the news came through by email at the end of February.

Mum Shauna said they initially thought it was a scam but the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was confirmed when they contacted Anfield.

"To be picked out of so many children across the UK and Hannah's been picked all the way from Derry," she said.

"You can only imagine the excitement, there were a few tears and a few squeals, she was just so excited."

Hannah will arrive at Wembley a few hours before the match where she will meet the first team, get pictures with them before watching them warm up and then walk out with Van Dijk.

"I think its going to be a quite emotional day for Hannah and for us all," Shauna said.

Hannah's dad Steve has taken Hannah to a few Liverpool games and is also excited about Sunday.

"If you think of the millions of fans worldwide, to be picked, someone was looking down on us or really wanted it for Hannah," he said.

"It's stuff you dream of, it's something you can't buy."

From the left a women with dark hair wearing a white shirt. In the middle, a girl with blonde hair wearing a grey uniform and on the right a man with dark hair and glasses wearing a black shirt. A Liverpool Football Club flag is behind them, along with a Liverpool FC wallpaper.
Hannah with her mum and dad, Shauna and Steve O'Carolan

They say you should never meet your heroes but Hannah is about to meet hers - the Liverpool striker Mohamed (Mo) Salah - and she knows she will not be disappointed.

The die-hard Reds fan also plays for her local side Maiden City as a defender.

She was inspired by her great uncle Brendan Bradley, who remains the League of Ireland's record goal-scorer with 235 goals in a career that spanned 20 years.

Another inspiration was her auntie Sinead, who played for the Northern Ireland ladies' team.

Shauna O’Carolan Girl with blonde hair wearing a red Liverpool Football Club shirt, with white writing on it. There is a football pitch in the background with the football net in vision along with some footballs and a few players warming up. She is holding an Irish flag which is orange, white and green. She also has a red and white headband in her blonde hair. Shauna O’Carolan
Hannah says she is excited about the game and hopes Liverpool wins

Hannah's aunts Sinead and Jillian will fly to London with her ahead of the big match.

"I think Sinead is actually more excited than Hannah at this stage," said Shauna,

Hannah said she is also over the moon about her friends watching her on TV.

"They will see how happy I am," she said.

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