Elliot Chaffey: Rising football star travels to US for scholarship

A 16-year-old boy is jetting off to the US to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Elliot Chaffey started playing at grassroots level for Havant and Waterlooville when he was five.

Now, the young central midfielder from Emsworth has gained a scholarship with Presbyterian College in South Carolina.

The team's head coach said he believed Elliot was the youngest player to gain a place on the course and looked forward to welcoming him this weekend.

Elliot said it was "nerve-wracking to say the least" to be leaving home so young, but it had been his dream to pursue a football career in the US since he was 10.

"It's something I've always really wanted to do. The States has what I consider the best of both worlds," he said.

"In the UK it's very much either your academia or your sporting athletic ability... in the States you can play very high level sports along with getting a degree.

"It's a great opportunity for those who slip through the net of academies in the UK."

Elliot will be spending the next five years studying for a degree in business management, alongside playing for the Presbyterian College Division One team.

He gained the spot through agency FirstPoint USA after travelling across the pond for trials in January ahead of his GCSE exams.

Elliot said the process had been a "surreal experience" and a "very quick turnaround".

Head coach at Presbyterian College, Nick Finotti, said it was Elliot's "physical prowess that jumped off he page".

He said: "[It's] his decision-making, comfort level on the ball, technical ability, passing range, his level of communication and how that displayed a level of leadership and tactical awareness on the field - he brings a lot to the game.

"He is young, so there's going to be a learning curve. I'm not aware of a soccer player, soon to be 17-year-old, playing Division One sports.

"He's excited, he's eager, he flies in this weekend, so we'll look after him and are super excited to have Elliot."

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.