A student has won a scholarship to play football at university in the US.

In autumn, Phil Liversedge, 19, from Willow Road, Darlington, will fly to Texas to begin a BSc degree in fitness and sports certification at A&M International University,

Phil, a former Hummersknott School pupil, who studied at Houghall College, Durham, will have his tuition fees paid so that he can play for the university soccer team.

He has played for a number of teams in the region, including the district team, Darlington Boys Club and the Middleton St George side.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to going over there and playing. The standard's quite high and some of the bigger universities are like professional teams.

"From this I'd quite like to go on and do soccer coaching or possibly work over there looking for young players in England who can come and play for universities in the States."

Although Phil's tuition fees have been paid, he still has to pay for flights, insurance and living expenses. Anybody who can offer help or sponsorship can call him on 07793 058861.