Footballers from Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion gave young patients a boost by paying them a pre-Christmas visit.

Children at Sandwell General Hospital soon perked up when Baggies players walked through the doors yesterday.

Six of the first team players acted as Santa for the day, delivering gifts to some of the children in the hospital’s Lyndon wards. And for meningitis sufferer Terri Hadley, from West Bromwich, the visit couldn’t have come at a better time. “I love it,” said the 10-year-old, tearing open the wrapping on her music player.

“Sean Kingston is my favourite singer, I’ll be playing him on it,” she said.

The youngster was hit by a car back in May this year, just weeks after her dad Terry Davis died of kidney failure.

She has since been struck down with the potential killer disease twice and says she is “fed up with being in hospital.”

The Pennyhill School pupil’s mum, Susan Hadley, said: “It’s really perked her up. Her brother’s a massive Baggies fan so she’ll be able to show off to him.

“She’s been in hospital for five days now, they’ve said another two weeks but I’m really hoping she’ll be back home for Christmas day.”

Midfielder James Morrison was handing out her presents, which also included a signed football and a club calendar.

He said: “I think she’s amazing considering what she’s gone through, she seems lovely, really positive.”

The most excited patient on the ward was Baggies-mad Blaine Sheffield. The Greets Green three-year-old, who was in bed recovering from a minor operation could hardly contain his excitement when Pele sat down for a chat. “He absolutely loves West Brom,” said mum Amie Shaw. “He was screaming earlier because he wanted to go home. Now he won’t stop smiling.”

And for four-year-old Luke Bennett, it was dad who was star struck in front of Shergill MacDonald.

“They said he could go home about three hours ago,” said Dave Bennett, from West Bromwich. “I made him wait a while so we could get to meet them all.”

Meanwhile, youngsters at a Acorns Hospice in Birmingham received an early Christmas present when they enjoyed a visit from Aston Villa’s captain and England player Gareth Barry, and goal scorer John Carew. The pair were at the site in Selly Oak as part of Premier League’s Creating Chances campaign.

Gareth Barry, himself a father of two, said it was humbling to spend time around the children.

“As soon as you walk in and see the children, the real world hits you and you just want to put a smile on their faces,” he said.