A birthday in lockdown doesn’t have to be a lonely affair, especially with the combination of a bright idea and the advantages of technology. That was the case for several children in the VCF Academy’s 8-a-side team, who had a ‘virtual’ birthday party with some special guests.

First team players Dani Parejo, Manu Vallejo and Jaume Costa joined in a video call to wish the youngsters well, much to their surprise.

The trio gave the children advice about how to keep fit during the spell in confinement, and shared their desire to get back to action as soon as possible. Costa explained that he had also spent his birthday in similar circumstances back in March, and encouraged them to “be patient with your parents, and with a little effort to comply with the rules everything will return to normal and we will be happy again.”

Vallejo explained that he has now fully recovered from the injury that sidelined him for several months, whilst Parejo answered questions from the youngsters about his career at Valencia CF.

For the VCF Academy players, it was a celebration to remember. They -like the first team- are keen to get have the ball at their feet again when it is safe to do so.