Nolberto Solano received a good luck message from his Peruvian homeland as he prepares to start his second spell at Newcastle United in tomorrow's Tyne-Wear derby, writes Gavin Havery.
Father Joe Plumb, a Catholic missionary priest in Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon, met the winger at Newcastle United's training ground yesterday.
But when Solano spoke to members of Fr Plumb's shantytown football team, they were too tongue-tied to speak.
Fr Plumb, 34, originally of Pity Me, County Durham, explained: "They'd been waiting all night to speak to him and had prepared questions and good luck messages, but when they actually heard him on the phone they were too star-struck to say more than single words.
"Solano is a huge inspiration to the poor people in Peru and they follow his career keenly."
Fr Plumb, who is actually a Manchester City fan, added: "Everyone I've met in Peru in the last five years has asked if I know Solano. They're very like the people of the North-East in their passion for football. In South America, football comes second only to God."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article