Chiang Rai’s 12 Wild Boars Guests of Manchester United at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER – The 12 Wild Boar team members trapped with their coach in the Chiang Rai cave were guests at Old Trafford for Manchester United’s home match against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Having met United manager Jose Mourinho and first-team stars on Saturday, they were guests of honour as the Red Devils faced Everton in the Premier League.

The 12 youngsters from the Wild Boars club, aged between 11 and 16, were invited to United’s Carrington training ground to meet the stars on the eve of the Everton game.

Mourinho hugged every member of the squad and posed for photographs before signing souvenirs.

Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Ashley Young, Andreas Pereira and Fred also met the young players, whose predicament attracted worldwide attention last July.

The youngsters had already experienced a taste of Manchester United folklore, having appeared alongside the club’s former forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a US TV talk show hosted by Ellen Degeneres.

The 12 players were accompanied by two coaches, family members and Lt Gen Werachon Sukondhapatipak, the deputy government spokesman and recent chaperone for the Wild Boars.

Sat in the Old Trafford directors’ box, all wearing United scarves and bobble hats, they received a rapturous welcome from the home support when introduced to the crowd before kick-off.

United, meanwhile, held a minute’s silence before kick-off, in joint memory of Remembrance Sunday and the helicopter crash on Saturday evening involving the aircraft belonging to Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

The Associated Press