A TALENTED young footballer received a huge amount of support after he started a fundraising plea to send him to a tournament that could help him realise his dream.

Esat Yikilmaz, from Woodley, will travel to Holland this Easter after exceeding his initial target of £1,000.

Hoping to be scouted by one of the world's biggest club's, the 12-year-old currently plays for an academy called Berks Elite.

Due to the the overwhelming response to his fundraising goal, Esat has decided to use the rest of the money to help refugee children in Greece.

He said: "Football has been a huge part of my life and I have been scouted for many great clubs, such as Chelsea and Southampton.

"Although not getting through those trials, I have been resilient and carried on following my passion for this amazing sport.

"I am really grateful for everyone's donations. My dream of going to Holland is coming true."

The fundraising goal has now been pushed up to £3,000 and Esat hopes his trip to Holland will be the next step on his journey to being a world-famous footballer.

Visit: gofundme.com/holland-football-tournament to donate to his online fundraising page.