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A computer game fanatic who flew more than 3000 miles to watch his virtual heroes in action declared: “It’s a dream come true”.

Canadian Quill Glaude swapped a laptop screen for Somerset Park to back his adopted team Ayr United on Saturday.

The YouTube sensation boasts more than 400,000 followers online — and uploads videos of himself playing cult game Football Manager.

The clips have propelled 36-year-old Quill to star status in Europe, with legions following his progress.

But this week, he ditched the world of virtual reality to roar on the real thing.

(Image: Iain Brown/Ayrshire Post)

Quill, of Sudbury in Ontario, said: “I play a lot of strategy games online and we’ve got a great community going.

“During the European Championships last year, a lot of my European followers said I should try Football Manager.

“I decided to give it a shot and ended up going as Ayr United because I have a link to the town through my wife.

“She spent a semester studying at college there around six years ago, so it seemed as good a reason as any.

“I admit my football knowledge was zero when I started but I’ve really got into it and the videos I’ve uploaded are proving really popular.

“Hardcore football fans probably find my approach to games a bit odd, but I’m always learning as I go.”

(Image: Iain Brown/Ayrshire Post)

Quill, a former computer programmer, spends up to two hours each day simulating Ayr games online.

And his management of top talent like Nicky Devlin and Gary Harkins has become must-watch footage for followers.

He added: “I love managing guys like Paul Cairney — he’s aggressive and always opens up scoring opportunities.

“The videos get such good feedback — I’ve got 100,000 people who watch my channel purely for the Football Manager content.

“And whenever Ayr play in real life, all of those people get an alert sent to them.

“That’s why I decided I had to come and see the team play in the flesh.

“We came over here for a vacation and spent New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh, but getting to see Ayr play was the highlight.

“It was a bit of a dream come true.”

(Image: SNS Group)

Quill also staged a “fan meet” for his followers in the town’s Ayrshire and Galloway pub immediately after the match.

Around 30 fellow gamers travelled from around Europe to meet their online hero and talk strategy.

And some even attended the earlier game at Somerset, which Ayr lost 2-0 against Dunfermline.

United commercial boss Graeme Miller said: "Quill's dedication blew us away when he turned up in our shop and wanted to buy everything in sight!

"The computer game is a huge hit around the world and we're delighted that Quill has chosen to adopt us on his own journey."

To view Quill’s United videos, visit www.youtube.com/quill18.