"Uncle Beard is here!"
In the small yard of the Ranocchia family, children, like a flock of cheerful birds, were shouting and rushing out all at once.
At the gate, a taxi came to a steady stop, instantly surrounded by the little ones.
The children's eyes sparkled with excitement, their little palms were eagerly slapping the car windows with such enthusiasm that it seemed they might just shatter the glass.
Berni, full of smiles, gently pushed open the car door.
As the trunk opened, bags of all sizes came into view.
He bent down, his hands busily working, taking out the gifts one by one to distribute them to the children who could hardly wait.
"Don't grab, come one at a time, everyone gets a share!" His voice was warm and somewhat hearty, just like the rare sunshine this afternoon in Manchester.
Back when he played for Inter Milan, Berni was already very close to the Ranocchia family.
