Former Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan has been seen taking his two-month-old son onto the pitch at Old Trafford for the first time, sharing a string of sweet snaps on social media. The actor, best known for playing Pete Barton in the ITV soap, welcomed his first child in April alongside his partner, fellow soap star Nikki Sanderson.
Baby Announcement
Anthony and Nikki, who most recently played Maxine Minniver in Channel 4's Hollyoaks but previously played Candace Stowe in Coronation Street, announced they were expecting their first baby together in an adorable social media post on Christmas Eve. They posted a video decorating their Christmas tree, adding a decoration featuring one of their scan photos with the message: 'Baby Quinlan. Arriving 2026.' The couple, who have been dating since the start of 2022, also said: 'Merry Christmas from the 3 of us. Baby Quinlan due Spring 2026.'
Son's Arrival
On April 25, the couple shared the delightful news that their son had made a safe arrival into the world, posting a heart-warming Instagram photo alongside a black and white photograph of their newborn baby boy. The caption read: 'Happy due day little man. You blessed our lives a few days earlier than expected and filled our world with so much joy. Daddy and mummy love you so much Son.'
First Visit to Old Trafford
Only last week, the new parents revealed their son's name for the first time. Sharing pictures of their bundle of joy on Instagram, Nikki led on sharing: 'Introducing Anthony James Quinlan. Swipe —> for more cuteness.' She added: 'Just over 6 weeks ago, our world changed and became everything we could have wished for and more.'
Now, Anthony has been seen preparing his son early for a life of following Manchester United just like himself, taking him for his first visit to the 'Theatre of Dreams'. Sharing the pictures on Instagram, he said: 'A day I’ll never forget at the Theatre of Dreams. @manutd Swipe through for my son's first visit.'
He captioned each picture individually: 'My little man seeing part of the history and hopefully the not too distant future! [trophy emojis] with the European Cup, Premier League and FA Cup trophies. Anthony sitting in the cup and celebrating like he’s already won it himself! [heart and crying laughing face emojis]. Maybe one day son.'
Alongside another, Anthony wrote: 'First steps onto the hallowed turf of Old Trafford. Dreams start somewhere,' while another had been captioned: 'In front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. The cheering continues… he’s definitely got the United spirit already. He’s a natural when it comes to celebrations!'
The former Hollyoaks star rounded off his post: 'Days like this remind you what football’s really about. Not trophies and results, but moments shared with the people you love most... Then again, seeing Anthony with the European Cup, Premier League and FA Cup, we’ve both decided trophies are important too. One day he’ll be too big for me to carry him around Old Trafford… but today wasn’t that day. A day I’ll cherish forever with it being his first, but definitely not the last! Glory Glory Man United #MUFC #ManchesterUnited #OldTrafford #TheatreOfDreams #FatherAndSon.'
