A WYE Valley footballer has won a scholarship to play football in America, after impressing in trials with Welsh schools.

George Gouldingay - who has just skippered Monmouth Comprehensive School’s senior team to a historic Welsh Schools and Gwent Schools cup double – will head to the US after being selected by the agency, Future Elite Academy (Keystone Sports) at a trials event.

The academy got in contact with universities in America, giving Monmouth’s George an opportunity to reach out to them.

And the 18-year-old, who played for Monmouth Town FC last week in the Gwent Senior Cup final, will now study and develop his football in Kentucky over the next four years, at a university that consistently tops their conference.

Alongside playing football, George is studying marketing and business management, with there being no requirement to choose his major in the first year. He can change it if there's another subject he prefers.

George said: “I’m absolutely buzzing, experiencing new culture and hopefully do a bit of travelling whilst I am out there as well.”

There are certain requirements to be allowed to study in America, including SATS which George sat at the beginning of May, and due to his score, he has received a full scholarship.

George began playing for Monmouth when he was just four years old and went on to trial for Cardiff City’s academy and played for Newport County’s academy and Bristol Rovers academy.

When lockdown hit, he played for Newport Schools County teams and later joined Cheltenham Town Development Centre playing in the JPL.

When playing for that team came to an end, he came back to Monmouth playing for the first team, before going on trials with Welsh schools.

It was through this he met with an American football agency leading him to the opportunity of playing football in a different country.