A Premier League footballer's generous donation has bowled over a Kent charity.

Fulham and former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno has donated time, money and signed various bits of kit for My Shining Star.

The Gillingham-based children's cancer charity which supports the financial needs of families going through the trauma of childhood cancer was overjoyed by the donations from the German international and his wife Sophie.

Anita Marinelli, who runs the charity, was invited up to the couple's home in London to collect the gear.

"We have worked with them before, so I knew that they were great people but having never met him in person I was very nervous," she said.

"I knew his wife was lovely, but he is also just one of the nicest people you could ever meet, I was really taken aback.

"They are so generous and they came to us offering to help off their own back, no publicity, nothing."

As well as signed shirts – some from Arsenal that were signed before his £8m move to Fulham in August, and some after – the keeper also passed over gloves and other memorabilia.

"He told us that he had some Arsenal gear for us, and then before I arranged to come over he moved to Fulham so obviously we let him be as it's obviously a busy time," Mrs Marinelli explained.

"He then invited me to his house which was amazing and he signed every single piece.

"There were even signed gloves for a young child who lost his siblings to cancer – they really thought of everything."

On top of the kind donations, the couple also passed on £3,500 from their wedding fundraiser to help support the charity further.

"We really have no idea how to thank them, it's so generous," Mrs Marinelli added.

"In terms of the shirts, we will be auctioning them off but we just need to figure out the when, where and how."

The Fulham stopper is no stranger to Kent, having swept into Dartford last year to bring festive cheer to a nine-year-old Arsenal supporter undergoing chemotherapy.

Then playing for the Gunners, he carried out a surprise visit to the home of fan James who has a benign spinal tumour.