ASPIRING young footballers have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Premier League star Sam Byram thanks to a new 'hub' at Haxby.

Former Joseph Rowntree School pupil Byram made the move from Leeds United to top-flight West Ham in 2016 for a reported £3.7 million. The 23-year-old’s junior career, however, included a stint at Haxby JFC.

Now, the club’s current crop of youngsters are set to benefit from an upgrade to their facilities.

Haxby Town Council will officially unveil the improvements to the new football hub on Saturday. They include levelling and extension of the playing surfaces, as well as an upgraded pavilion.

As a result, HJFC will be able to introduce a number of new teams, including their first female side and provision for over 14s.

The improvements will also afford them greater flexibility in their fixture schedule, as it will no longer have to be meticulously managed in order to avoid excessive wear on the playing surfaces.

The project was made possible by a £28,710 grant from the Football Foundation.

Founded in 2000, the Football Foundation is the largest sports charity in the UK funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government, via Sport England, and has contributed £9.4 million over 251 grants across the whole of the North Riding.