Milo Beimers, an 18-year-old goalkeeper, set out from Belfast with his father Kevin in a converted transit van on a 2,000-mile journey through Spain and Portugal, armed with trial opportunities but no guaranteed destination. Thirty days later, he had a contract.

The former Glentoran shot-stopper — who had been with the Northern Irish club since he was 13 — has signed for Viterbese, a club based in a medieval city roughly an hour from Rome, competing in Serie D, Italy's fourth tier.

A winding road to Viterbo

The trip included a trial with Hercules in Spain before Beimers flew back to London for another opportunity. A phone call then redirected him to Italy, where a successful trial with Viterbese brought his unconventional search to an end.