It was hard to tell who was more excited to be there - Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba or the poorly children they were visiting to bring a little bonus joy into the day.
Either way, it was a recipe for plenty of happy snaps as the star striker and midfielder, along with the rest of their team-mates, hit the wards on Monday.
Manchester United players stretched themselves across three hospitals in a single day, with most joining Pogba and Ibrahimovic at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, the biggest facility of its kind on a single site in the UK.
“There is more important things in life than football,” said Ibrahimovic as he thanked the hospital on Twitter.
The Swede earlier said: “It’s a great cause, we see children who may not be in the best condition but we can come and bring them a little happiness and positive vibes.”
Michael Carrick, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones went to Didsbury’s Francis House Children’s Hospice, a home away from home for families of sick kids which offers not just care but hugely needed support.
Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind were nearby at The Christie’s Palatine Treatment Centre.
They delighted those spending the Christmas period in the teenage and young adult unit and haematology and transplant inpatient unit.
At each site the players played Santa in handing out United-themed gifts, including signed home shirts.
Lukaku enjoyed dishing out some “positive energy” after rediscovering his goal-scoring form.
Fifteen-year-old Grace, a patient on the Tertiary Medical at Royal Manchester who met Ibrahimovic and Pogba, said the visit “means the world”.
“It’s brilliant,” she said.
“I’ve been in a lot of pain recently with my illness and to meet my two favourite players is just amazing.”