A MORTON fan’s dreams came true when he met his heroes and they surprised him with a signed strip as a semi-final keepsake.

Youngster Adam Darroch and his dad Andrew, a lifelong Ton fan, appeared in the Tele after the team’s big Hampden showdown against Aberdeen last month.

The match was a real family affair for the pair as it saw Adam retrace the footsteps of his dad — who had gone to his first semi-final, also against Aberdeen, at the same age 35 years ago when he was a boy.

The coincidence led to the pair being interviewed on Radio Scotland and after League Cup sponsors Betfred saw a story about it in the Tele they were so impressed by Adam’s love of his local team that they decided to offer him a memento from the match.

They teamed up with Morton and the Tele to arrange a day to remember for Adam which saw the footie starlet, who turns out for the Morton Community Development Trust team, get the chance to watch the team train at Parklea.

He met his favourite player Jai Quitongo, who presented him with a strip signed by the Ton team, and he was even given the chance to talk tactics with the manager Jim Duffy.

Adam, 11, of Gourock Primary, said at Parklea: “It is amazing. I have never been here before, I can’t believe I have met the players.

“I spoke to Jim Duffy and he told me to stick in with my football and work hard.

“I will keep the strip forever.

“It was great to meet Jai, he is my favourite player.”

Jai told the Tele: “It is great to present the strip to Adam, his support is so important to us.

“I hope I can be the right kind of role model for a young boy like Adam.”

Despite the fact Ton lost the game at Hampden 2-0, Adam and his dad enjoyed it as they watched their side turn into a brave performance against their Premier League opponents.

Andrew, a secondary school teacher, said: “I was lucky when I was a boy as I had the chance to see Morton again in a semi-final two years after my first.

“But then I had to wait another 35 years for it to come around again.

“I hope Adam won’t have to wait that long!

“I can’t thank everyone enough for the Morton strip.”

Betfred say they hope Adam’s signed strip will help make up for the disappointment of missing out on the final, which takes place on Sunday between the Dons and Celtic.

A Betfred spokesman said: “We hear that Adam is a decent player himself and hope he will be inspired to one day be good enough to get into his favourite team.”