THEY raised $60,000 in a bid to realise their dream of playing football in England and, thanks to a York-based company, it has come true for a team of young American players.

Aggies FC, an under-13s outfit based in Utah, are in the Minster city on a ten-day trip with Nether Poppleton firm Inspire 2 Independence hosting them through their charity arm, i2i Life Foundation.

The directors of the company, all of whom are involved in local youth football development, will coach and mentor the team as they pit their skills against a number of local outfits – starting tomorrow against Elvington.

Marco Gabbiadini, former York City striker and head of sport at i2i, also offered to hold a training session and is providing the youngsters with accommodation at Bishops Hotel, which he runs in Holgate.

The team have been supported by other York businesses, including Nike Factory Outlet, Graveley’s Fish and Chips and Pizza Hut, who have pledged their support by offering discounts on their products.

A local school and scout group have also agreed to lend the team their minibus.

Gabbiadini said: “The support we’ve received locally in organising this trip has been phenomenal, but it’s equally important we recognise the efforts of the young men themselves who made this trip possible by raising $60,000 to fund their air fares.

“The i2i Life Foundation is about teaching the importance of responsibility and showing that hard work and dedication really does pay, and no one embodies those values more than the Aggies players.

“By working hard to raise a lot of money, these boys have ensured that every member of their team is able to experience a trip of a lifetime – playing the game they love, in the country where it was born.”

The idea behind the trip came about in August last year when i2i company director Kent Mayall visited Utah on a family holiday.

His son Connor, 13, a pupil at Tadcaster Grammar School, was invited to take part in a soccer tournament with Aggies FC, and was overwhelmed by the welcome he received. It was this experience which prompted them to invite the team to York.

In the months that followed, the Aggies worked tirelessly to raise money for their airfares – volunteering in McDonalds and negotiating a share of the profits, selling ice-cream door to door and offering local businesses advertising space on their T-shirts.

The Aggies players, who arrived in the city yesterday, represent nine different nationalities and come from a diverse range of social and economic backgrounds.

For many of them, the trip over to Britain was the first time they had been on an airplane.

Mayall, i2i commercial director, said: “The great thing about this visit is that everyone involved has come together through a shared love of football.

“There’s no doubting that the Aggies will have a fantastic time here in York, but our intentions are much more than to give them a good holiday.

“We want to raise these lads’ aspirations and provide an experience through football that they will cherish and remember for the rest of their lives.

“For me, it’s all about where they end up in ten years’ time.

“We want to show them that many of the skills used in football can also be applied to everyday life, and will stand them in good stead when they leave school.”

i2i specialises in getting people back into employment or training, and recently achieved its goal of getting 5,000 unemployed people back into work through its football coaching academy.