READING FC midfielder David Meyler turned Good Samaritan by paying off part of a former student’s overdraft.

Ronan Newton chanced his arm by messaging Meyler on Twitter to ask for financial help.

And the 22-year-old from Hull could not believe his luck when Meyler agreed.

Newton sent Meyler a message saying: "Alright David Meyler massive fan of your YouTube page any chance sending us 2 grand to pay me overdraft off."

Meyler quickly responded saying: "Send me your bank details".

Newton initially thought Meyler was joking until he checked his bank balance.

Meyler had paid £416.83 into Newton’s account, leaving the recently-graduated sports teacher with exactly £1,500 left on his overdraft.

The Royals midfielder, who is currently on international duty with Republic of Ireland, followed it up with another message to Newton stating: "don't pi** it all down the drain please."

Meyler’s heartwarming response left Newton both astounded and impressed after admitting he only sent his original message as a joke.

He told Hull Live: "I graduated from university with a sports degree in June and I'm still trying to pay off my student overdraft.

“I was out with mates the other night just having a laugh, and for a bit of banter I tweeted David Meyler asking for money with the hope that he might just message back or give us a retweet at least, as he is very active on social media.

"When he asked for my bank details I thought he would just pay me a penny or a tenner as a joke, but when I realised he'd sent a lot more than that, it was just unreal and such a shock.”

Newton added: "I was buzzing and it just goes to show that footballers do their bit for the community, and give back to their fans.

"I'm massively thankful for what Meyler did, especially as he's busy away at an international training camp.

"I'll follow his advice and won't pi** the money up the wall - I'm working at the moment and trying to save up as much as I can before going on to teach sport."

Meyler is hugely popular on all social media channels and regularly interacts with fans, often taking them on in the online computer game, Fifa.