DISABLED teenager Russell Dabbs' dream came true when he was taken to meet his Manchester United heroes.

Football-mad Russell 16, from Weymouth, was overjoyed at coming face to face with his idols including Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown at the club's training grounds.

The three-day trip was organised by the charity, Dreams Come True, which aims to fulfil the wishes of seriously and terminally-ill children.

Russell was born with a gene defect and has the condition Spondyloepiphy-seal Dysplasia (SED) which means he is only the size of an eight-year-old boy and the bones in his legs do not grow normally.

He has undergone several major operations to straighten them and the most recent procedure carried out last December involved fixing a metal frame to Russell's legs for three months.

His teacher Simon Lewis at Budmouth Technology College put Russell's family in contact with Dreams Come True after he ran the London Marathon in aid of the charity.

Russell, of Lichfield Road, Weymouth said: "I've been supporting Manchester United since I was about five. It was a fantastic trip, especially meeting Rio and Ryan Giggs."

His dad Gary Dabbs, who accompanied Russell to Manchester, said: "He has to have a lot of physiotherapy and it's a long drawn-out process. He has been on crutches and in wheelchairs for the last two and half years so it was really nice for him to meet the whole team.

"He thoroughly enjoyed it. We met Alex Ferguson and gave him a Weymouth FC scarf which he put on. I'd like to thank all of the team and everyone involved in organising the trip."

Russell and Gary were given an extensive tour of Old Trafford and the following day they were taken to the club's training ground at Carrington.

They watched the players in action for two and a half hours before meeting them and getting their autographs.

During his dream trip, Russell - who regularly attends Weymouth Football Club matches - was also shown Manchester United's trophy room.