The dad of a seven-year-old footie fanatic is hoping his son's recent signing to Spurs will help carry him towards a bright future and keep him away from bad influences on the street.

Danny Peal spoke to News Shopper about his pride at finding out that his son, Preston, was selected to join Tottenham Hotspurs back in April after months of tough training sessions for the talented baller.

Preston had been playing the sport from a young age, with dad Danny admitting he may have had a hand in it. "He started out at two years at old but like he used to eat the football rather than kick it because he didn't know what it was," he joked.

"It’s almost a typical dad and son thing really.

"He was barely walking and I throwing a football towards him.

"But I never knew that this would happen for him," he added.

Preston will now go on to train with the prestigious club from August after fending off bids from equally established teams such as Millwall F.C. and Chelsea F.C. in recent years.

Mr Peal believes that even though his son is still quite young, this life-changing opportunity will hopefully help his son focus on keeping fit and developing his talents, rather than spend his childhood hanging around street corners.

"With all the gang violence going on at the minute, I'm hoping this is going to take him away from all of that.

"I’m hoping this has given him something positive to work with and something he can be sensible with.

"It’s changed him as a person, it’s given himself a sense of healthy maturity," said Mr Peal.

Although only signing for the club a number of weeks ago, young Preston has already had to chance to rub shoulders with a number of Premier League stars on the pitch, including Victor Wanayama and Mousa Dembélé.

News Shopper:

Preston with Spurs stars Victor Wanyama and Serge Aurier. Credit: Danny Peal

"They had an in-house tournament and we were down on the pitch afterwards and all of a sudden they walked in to meet the kids.

"I've dealt with a couple youth clubs with Preston before I can safely say they’re one of the best," said Mr Peal.

During the off-season, Preston has also played games for the popular London Sunday league side, SE Dons, who are known for their online videos and social media presence.