Brave Nick Killen is, to coin a footballing phrase, over the moon after meeting his soccer heroes.

The teenager, who has achieved his own sporting glory, was treated to a special trip to Anfield - thanks to the Telegraph & Argus - where he was feted by stars like Michael Owen (pictured with Nick) and Emile Heskey.

And officials at Liverpool paid tribute to the determination of 16-year-old Nick from Saltaire.

Nick, who had to have both eyes removed to save him from a rare cancer nine years ago but is hoping to represent Britain at judo at the Paralympics, visited Merseyside after the T&A helped fix up the specially arranged trip to his favourite club.

As well as meeting most of the club's top players at Liverpool's Melwood training ground, Nick, his mum Susan, sister Beverley English and 17-year-old friend Munim Choudhury - a fellow student at Bradford's Temple Bank School for the blind and partially sighted - were taken on a special tour of the famous Anfield stadium and visitor centre.

The visitors from Bradford even got a chance to touch the FA Cup, Worthington Cup, UEFA Cup and Charity Shield, all trophies Liverpool won over their past glorious year.

Nick said: "I've supported Liverpool for years so it was a fantastic day for me and just a dream come true to meet all the players - it's something I'll never forget.

"I met most of the players, including Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Stephen Gerrard, Danny Murphy and Dietmar Hamman, and got them to sign my Liverpool shirt.

"I told them about all the sports I do, congratulated them on the win over Manchester United in midweek - and wished them good luck for the rest of the season.''

Nick said he had also asked assistant manager Phil Thompson about the progress manager Gerard Houllier was making following his heart trouble earlier this season, adding: "He said he was on the mend and I asked him to pass on my best wishes to him.''

Nick added that he had also taken the opportunity to wish the England stars among the Liverpool ranks all the best for this summer's World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.

Liverpool's community affairs manager Brian Hall, who played for the club in the 1970s, said: "Nicholas is obviously a very brave and an extremely determined young man, who demonstrates just what can be achieved no matter how difficult the obstacles placed before him.

"Liverpool Football Club receive tens of thousands of requests for people to meet our players at our training ground, Melwood, and it is physically impossible to satisfy the majority of these requests.

"However, when we received the request for Nicholas we had no hesitation in agreeing.

"The club is delighted and honoured that Nicholas visited us, and we wish him every success in all his remarkable sporting activities.''

Last year the T&A revealed how Nick is hoping to represent his country at judo during the Paralympics in Athens in 2004 or in 2008 and had been selected to travel with Britain's visually impaired judo squad for ten days' training with some of the world's top coaches in Japan.

The youngster has also been called up for the British Goalball squad after excelling in the sport which enables blind, partially sighted and sighted people to compete on an equal footing.