TEENAGE loanee and budding entrepreneur Monty George came up trumps for Bashley off the pitch after he donated £1,000 to help save the financially stricken club.

The 17-year-old back-up goalkeeper, borrowed from Conference club Salisbury City, stunned staff and supporters at the struggling Southern League outfit by pledging the sizeable sum from the profits of his online business.

Salisbury-based George, who also spent time with Cherries' academy where he picked up the nickname 'Python' from goalkeeping coach Neil Moss, started baking bread for his local shop at the age of seven.

By the time he was 14, he had started buying and selling imported electronic goods and pest control products from China while also selling at a profit items bought from £1 retailers on the high street.

As well as sending out up to 280 products a day, George is studying for four A levels at Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School, Salisbury while also training with his hometown club following his release from Yeovil Town's academy in September.

Explaining his generous act, George told the Daily Echo: “Bashley have made me feel very welcome and having got to know all the guys I just wanted to help out.

“Football has given me a lot and I was in a position to help out so I did. It would be a shame to see the club go under.

“I saw they needed the money and realised I could contribute. To me, I'm not doing anything with the money at the moment and I like the club so I am happy to be able to help.”

George, whose target is to be in a position to retire at the age of 21, plans to live the student life by buying houses to rent out near universities while he “kicks on” with other business interests and tries to develop his football career.

“I want to take my football as far as I can. Will Puddy (Salisbury City goalkeeper) runs his own business and manages the two quite well so you can do it if you really want to.”

Bashley's joint-manager Paul Gazzard said: “I don't know how many years I have spent in football but I have never known anything like it.

“The lad isn't even getting paid, he turns up and plays when we need him to and doesn't grumble if Nic Jones is available and plays ahead of him.

“I'm just taken back by it all. It was a tremendous, selfless act.”

Meanwhile, chairman Mike Cranidge, who was “gobsmacked” by George's "generosity”, revealed talks had started with a group of “senior club members” over keeping Bash alive.

The three-strong consortium, confirmed as having been headed by former AFC Totton committee member Nick Ferguson, released a statement declaring they had withdrawn their interest as a result.

Cranidge politely declined to comment on the identity of the club members involved but said: “Talks with the consortium are now dead and we are unlikely to revisit that option.

“Discussions will continue with the members this week but the signs are very encouraging that we can make it a viable proposition, particularly after the success of the Just Giving page.”

Despite taking the lead through Jack Odam's wonder strike, Bash slipped to a 2-1 defeat at home to play-off chasers St Albans City yesterday.

Bash: Jones, Rolls, Flint (Manders, 71), Ansell, Marden, Bulpitt, Roberts (Joyce, 86), Soetan, Kenna, Odam, Strickland. Unused subs: Morris, Brookes, George (g/k).