Almost £5 million could be spent on upgrading Purley Way and Ashburton Playing Fields.

After Sport England and the Football Association invited local authorities to bid for their new ‘Parklife’ project last year, Croydon submitted a successful initial application.

Council is now working on a feasibility study to bring two "state-of-the-art soccer-hub facilities" to town.

Councillor Timothy Godfrey thinks believes this is a great opportunity to help sport in the region thrive.

"If it goes ahead many more people would have access to high quality playing facilities at these sites, and we’d ensure there was a focus on getting more women, people with disabilities, and older players involved in regular training sessions and league matches," he said

"Boosting sport participation is great for bringing communities together, as well, of course, as having health benefits.”

Three local leagues and 26 Croydon football clubs have already shared their thoughts on the proposal, and work will be carried out in early-2018 to develop full plans for the facilities.