Sunderland star Duncan Watmore's classy gesture to his former club as they battle for funds

The pacy forward swapped Altrincham for the Stadium of Light in 2013, but remains loyal to his roots – with his family still regularly attending games.

Watmore himself remains in touch with a number of staff at Moss Lane, and has now stepped-in to provide some financial support to the National League North outfit.

Altrincham are set to miss out on £100,000 worth of income after the 2019/20 season was suspended, and launched a fundraising drive looking to raise £15,000 in order to stave off financial issues in the short-term.

And, thanks in part to Watmore’s ‘substantial’ donation, the non-league side have already raised over £17,900.

Speaking to the Ornstein & Chapman Podcast, the Sunderland star said: “There's been some fundraising to help keep Altrincham going, so I've helped with that.

“I like keeping in touch with them because they're such a family-run club and they helped me so much in my early days.

“I still keep in touch with the chairman and some of the players that I played with - who are still there.”

After his donation, Altrincham tweeted: “A big thank you to the former Robin for making a substantial contribution to our fundraiser, what a fantastic and much appreciated gesture.”

Earlier this week, Watmore was linked with a summer move to Middlesbrough with his deal on Wearside set to expire on June 30.