Just a week after the transfer window closed across major football leagues, a fan favorite amateur player is reportedly leaving his club to become a king.
According to multiple publications, George Kamurasi will leave his position as goalkeeper and captain for the London-based South East Dons to become king of the Tooro Kingdom in Uganda.
The previous king, Oyo Nyimba, is Kamurasi's cousin. He died at the age of 34 on August 27 while receiving cancer treatment, Reuters reports. His burial is scheduled to take place this weekend on Sept. 12. Nyimba took the throne in 1995 when he was three years old, making him the world's youngest monarch.
The Telegraph addsthat Kamurasi, 36, will become the next king because his grandfather, King George Rukidi
III, named him second in line to the throne in his will after his uncle, Olimi Kaboyo II, and his heirs. Nyimba reportedly did not have children. A committee also confirmed Kamurasi as royal successor.
USA TODAY Sports contacted the Dons to confirm Kamurasi's departure and did not hear back at the time of publication.
The South East Dons is an amateur club that plays in the Southern Counties East Football League. The side was founded in 2014 by grime rapper Don Strapzy. This year, they qualified for their first FA Cup after making their debut in the historic tournament in August with a 6-0 victory over Lancing.
Kamurasi, who is known on the club as "Big G" because of his 6' 6" stature and role as a team leader, reshared a video from 2019 to reflect on the moment. Seven years ago, he said, "Don't treat the level you're at as where you want to be. If you've got aspirations and you want to progress, go and set the standard higher. Can you imagine hearing, 'SE Dons is in the FA Cup?' ... As a grassroots football club, you can only dream about that."
He made an Instagram postin awe.
"Yesterday, that dream is REAL," he wrote. "SE Dons a Non-League football club. I get to work every day alongside my best friends, building something we once could only imagine. Through every hardship, every setback and every moment we could of questioned how we’d get there, God kept directing the journey."
The Dons have 250,000 subscribers on YouTube and 143,000 followers on Instagram. They've gained popularity because of a coolness factor that includes bold graphics and authentic interviews. It also doesn't hurt to make history.
In a 2018 video for the team, Kamurasi shared some of his personal story. He said he started playing football at the age of 17 or 18 and has trained with clubs like West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
"I wasn't taught how to be a goalkeeper," he said, "and when I went in goal, I felt like because I wanted to win more than anyone else, and I took responsibility of if that ball went in the net, it was my fault and no one else's, it gave me that feeling of respect. So I wanted that over and over."
His mother died when he was 14 and he was incarcerated at the age of 16. He also noted that he lost his father during his playing career and explained how he's found motivation on the pitch.
"This is why I'm the player I am," he said. "Football is nothing compared to life's experiences. The reason why I'm able to play the way I am is because of my life experiences and the fact that I don't hide from responsibility. When I lost my mom, it then led to me being in the wrong circle, maybe. I made the mistakes I made. I always believed that I was supposed to do positive things."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: London-based amateur goalkeeper to become king in Uganda
