We scored!

Byline: By Gareth Deighan

A football coaching course set up in the memory of a teenager has gone international, attracting a promising player from Portugal.

Owen Dunn, 17, who has lived in Portugal since he was two, flew to Tyneside to take part in the professionally-led sessions, which started on Monday.

He hopes they will set him up for when he returns home and has trials with football giants Sporting Lisbon.

The courses were set up in memory of William Hunter, 16, who was knocked down and killed on the way home from a sixth-form party in December 2002.

William, of Kenton, Newcastle, was a talented goalkeeper who represented his school, club and county, and had trials with Preston FC. He dreamed of one day playing for his beloved Newcastle United.

Since his death, parents Tanya, 45, and Billy, 52, have taken on his love and dedication for the game, creating the William Hunter Memorial Fund, which gives children the chance to get professional football coaching.

Through a series of events, the fund has brought in more than pounds 55,000 and has given about 800 children free quality goalkeeping sessions delivered by FA-qualified coaches. And its reputation has now started to spread Europewide.

Owen, who wants to play professional football in England when he is older, and whose dad is from Durham City, learned about the fund when he stumbled across internet stories of Toon stopper Shay Given visiting the courses.

He got in contact with Tanya, and arranged to come on the course. Owen said: "It's fantastic what Tanya and Billy are doing. There are lots of people out there who might not be able to afford this type of course".