Defoe dedicates OBE award to late Bradley Lowery

Jermain Defoe admitted he felt proud to receive his OBE (Order of the British Empire), before dedicating his award to Bradley Lowery.

The Bournemouth striker was given the award in June following his work in the Jermain Defoe Foundation that supports homeless, vulnerable and abused children in St Lucia – his family’s home country.

But along with his charity work, Defoe also notably struck up a friendship with Lowery – a terminally ill six-year-old Sunderland fan during his time with the Black Cats.

Lowery sadly passed away in 2017 and while Defoe admitted he still hurts from losing his friend, admitted receiving his award was a happy day.

‘I would like to dedicate this to my little friend Bradley,’ Defoe told Sky Sports News. ‘Everyone knows the relationship I had with Bradley.’

‘I got this for my Foundation but I think above all of that this relationship I had with Bradley. I had great memories of Bradley – it still hurts. But to receive something like this today it makes me feel good. I’m proud and happy.

‘It’s special, so surreal. Even in the Palace I stood there like “wow this is really happening”, it’s an amazing, amazing feeling.’

The striker later added with a post on Instagram that read: ‘Feeling honoured and blessed to receive my OBE today at the Palace’.

Defoe was presented with the award by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, with the 36-year-old pictured afterwards posing proudly with his OBE

The striker’s friendship with Lowery started in 2016 while he was at Sunderland, with the young fan seeing Defoe as his hero.

He and Defoe were virtually inseparable as he bravely fought against a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma.

Defoe has since had ‘Brads’ tattooed on his arm to serve as a permanent reminder of his special relationship with Lowery.