The parents of Bradley Lowery, the football mascot whose battle with childhood cancer touched millions of people, have announced they are expecting a third child.

Gemma Lowery said she and husband Carl had decided in January to try for another baby, with the child expected to arrive in November.

Bradley died in 2017 aged just six, following a battle with neuroblastoma.

He was a mascot for his beloved Sunderland and, in the months before his death, led England out at Wembley alongside his hero, former Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe.

Mrs Lowery announced the pregnancy in a post on the Facebook page for The Bradley Lowery Foundation – the charity she established in his name to help other sick children.

She wrote: “Now this decision didn’t come lightly, Carl and I have so much love to give, so after lots of conversations, I have some news to tell you…….

“Baby lowery number 3 on its way, we decided to start trying in January for a baby and it didn’t take long to see them two lines on the pregnancy stick.

“Bradley is going to be the best guardian angel to his little brother or sister. Myself Carl and Kieran are absolutely over the moon and very excited for November to meet our prince or princes(s).”

In February 38-year-old Defoe, now with Scottish Premiership club Rangers, revealed he still thinks about Bradley every day.

He told the BBC: “It’s four years since he died but there’s not a day that goes by when he’s not in my mind.

“Especially now with the lockdown.

“The time that you get at home when you sit and reflect about things.

“Of course, I think about Bradley.

“I still keep in contact with the family – I’m very close to them.

“It was a really difficult time for me, especially when Bradley passed away – it was really difficult because I’d got used to walking out with him at games.

“When I got back into the England squad he came out with me at Wembley and every Sunderland home game I’d walk out with him, so it was really difficult after he died.”