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He is the striker who can out-run Usain Bolt over 50 metres, has averaged a goal a game and is now playing for Arsenal.

But it's worth remembering that £56million Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang kicked his first ball on English soil on a pitch in High Heaton that backs onto an allotment and a Chinese takeaway.

Grounsell Park is the home of Heaton Stannington, proud members of the Northern League – where regulars can get a pint for less than £3 and a stray goal kick can end up in a neighbour’s back yard. But for 90 minutes in 2012, it played host to the Gabon national team – and their shining star Aubameyang.

It’s a story every bit as bizarre and brilliant as it sounds. On the phone of Geoff Walker, Stan’s assistant manager, there is a picture of Aubameyang looking every inch the superstar – with bright blue Beats by Dre headphones and customised Nike hi-tops – walking past the bus stop outside Grounsell Park.

At the time Aubameyang was with St Etienne in France’s Ligue 1 and Newcastle United were desperate to bring him to St James’ Park. But he opted to play on in France and just 12 months later he left for Borussia Dortmund and the Champions League in a deal worth £10million.

So what was he doing at a ground that usually plays host to the likes of Ryhope, South Shields. Hebburn and Esh Winning?

The match was pulled together in less than 24 hours when Nobby Solano’s agent Gary Smith contacted Derek Thompson, Stan’s manager. He had been charged with finding a warm-up game for Gabon, who were playing in the Olympic football tournament at St James’ Park the following week.

Mr Thompson and Mr Smith knew each other from working on the memorabilia circuit. Derek frames signed shirts and has managed the then-Northern Alliance side for nearly a decade – but even so, he was not the natural first port of call for a national side trying to fine-tune before the biggest international tournament of their lives.

Mr Smith – who passed away in 2014 – had wanted to fix up a game against Newcastle United , but even their Under-21s were away on pre-season. So he asked Thompson if he could pull together a team at short notice from his amateurs.

“On the Saturday morning I got a text a little bit out of the blue,” Mr Walker, Stan’s assistant manager remembers.

“Newcastle couldn’t oblige and, with him knowing Derek, he asked if they could come here. They came to inspect the facilities and they were happy enough with them so the game went ahead on the Sunday afternoon.

“It was June, it was close season for us, so we weren’t training at all. We weren’t due back for pre-season for a good few weeks and some of the lads had plans for the Sunday already – so it was a bit of a scratch side. But it was a great occasion.”

One or two of the players had to be pulled in with hangovers. “I don’t think they were expecting to go up against an international side when they clocked off work on the Friday,” Walker chuckles.

Aubameyang was the star turn – which made it even more surreal when he ended up in the back of Mr Walker’s car because he’d forgotten his boots.

“Ten minutes after they arrived he realised he’d left his boots at the hotel, so I jumped in the car – he was in the back with one of their coaches and one of their security guys was in the front,” he said.

“They were at the Hilton, so there I was driving with him in the back thinking ‘Don’t let anyone come into the back of me here’. He said hello but he was quite a shy lad.”

The next year, he wore a £2,500 pair of boots encrusted in Swarovski crystals to warm up in. He was a class act.

Mr Walker says: “I knew quite a bit about Aubameyang at the time. He was banging goals in the French first division at the time. I think he had been out to AC Milan, but he didn’t play much for them – he was obviously their stand-out player.”

Team captain Joe Wear got the job of marking him. “We told him ‘Go easy on him Joe – he’s got a big game next week!’”

Gabon’s team of professionals – most plying their trade in France or in their own league – won 4-0 but Stan gave them a really good game.

“They treated us like a proper serious game. One of their wingers got clattered a bit at the end, so he had a bit of yelp. We were wincing a bit,”

Aubameyang scored twice, barely getting out of second gear. “He was absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen pace like it at first hand – certainly not on this pitch,” Walker says.

“All the lads were talking about it afterwards. They couldn’t believe the pace he had. They’d never come across anything like that. His movement was amazing, he just glided.

“That’s the best way to describe it – he was gliding across the pitch, it was a sight to see, it really was.”

The game was a good one. “They thanked us afterwards for the good, competitive game. We didn’t disgrace ourselves.”

They got a signed shirt afterwards – Aubameyang’s is now sitting in the clubhouse. “We offered them some food after the game like we do for all the away teams,” he said. “It was pie and peas. They politely declined.

“I think they had their own nutrition and dietician with them and I don’t think it really appealed to them.”

The club has gone from strength to strength since, gaining promotion to the Northern League. This year has been tough with injuries, but they’re finishing strongly – and they beat Ryton 4-0 on Wednesday.

“We’re getting it right off the pitch and hopefully we’ll finish in the top eight this year, which will get us back in the FA Cup next season,” Mr Walker says.

Whatever happens with that, their place in history is already assured.