Al Jazira kicked off the new UAE Pro League season with a 3-0 victory over Al Nasr on Friday night but fan Samuel Amiller had more than one reason to celebrate.

He was one of the lucky spectators to be picked from the 7,488-strong crowd at half-time to take part in a penalty shoot-out and after converting his spot kick to win the competition he netted the trip of a lifetime to watch Manchester City play in England.

Although Samuel has lived in Abu Dhabi with his wife Lorner for 12 years, this is the first time he had watched Jazira play.

“We have wanted to come and watch football here for a long time – this free ticket giveaway has made it possible,” he said.

“We saw all the free tickets floating around in Abu Dhabi Week, but we actually picked up our ticket from the Filipino embassy where they were being given away. Quite a few of us picked up the tickets and came to watch, just to see what it was like. It was a really good experience and a great atmosphere,” he added.

Having never been to England before, Samuel is excited about his upcoming trip. “I have never even been to Europe before, so this really is the trip of a lifetime for me. I think after this trip I will be a Manchester City supporter and definitely an Al Jazira fan for life.”