EOIN MULLIGAN HAS been working in a Supermac’s in Athlone for the past two years.

Every day, Francis – who lives above the Supermac’s – drops down for a chat about their shared passion in life: Everton Football Club. Francis has Asperger’s syndrome, and has been a die hard Everton fan as long as Eoin has known him.

So on Saturday, with the new season just beginning, Eoin decided to get him a present – his very own brand new Everton shirt.

Eoin Mulligan Everton Eoin Mulligan Everton

He posted his and Francis’s story to Facebook yesterday, and it’s been shared thousands of times – even by the official Everton page.

Eoin tells DailyEdge.ie the inspiration for the small, but lovely, gesture:

He comes down to me everyday I work there, and we discuss the goings on of the football world mainly about how much we love Everton football club. So I just thought it would be a great surprise for him.

He wrote on Facebook that Francis dropping in is a highlight of his day:

He is always full of beans with a smile on his face. Over the last two years I have got to know him very well.

I admire Francis because even though he has had a lot going on in his life, He still carries around this infectious energy that makes you laugh and always brightens up my days at work.

Francis is a die hard Everton fan like myself. So I took it upon myself to give back to the person who has lightened up many a shift in work for me over the past 2 years.

He included a video in his post of Francis opening up the present in Supermac’s yesterday – and it had his favourite player Wayne Rooney on the back.

If you can’t see the video, click here. 

Everton sharing Eoin and Francis’s moment late last night opened it up to a whole new audience outside Ireland – and an additional 5000 likes on Facebook would only spread that message today. The club wrote:

A heart warming tale. A lovely gesture Eoin – and a great reaction from Francis

Eoin tells DailyEdge that the post going viral has come as a massive shock – he was only putting it up for local people who know Francis and might be interested in him having a new Everton jersey:

Yeah I really wasn’t expecting it at all. My jaw dropped when I seen Everton football club shared it and I can’t wait to show Francis all the people that wish him well.

Everton won yesterday too – with Rooney scoring the winner – so it was a good day for the pair of them:

I was talking to his carer yesterday and she said he was over the moon. And knowing him I’d say hearing Rooney scored and we won he would of been delighted.

Once his post started gaining massive traction, Eoin put in a donation link for an autism community in Ireland, and he had some lovely words for Francis:

For me it was about spreading awareness for the less fortunate or people that are different, about showing some compassion and understanding. Francis is a really lovely character and I hope because of this a lot more people will be nice to him and maybe educate themselves on autism in Ireland.

The pair of them talking football all day – one in a Supermac’s shirt and the other in his brand new Everton one <3

Written by David Elkin and posted on DailyEdge.ie

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