So there was Ben McFadyean asking his kids what name they wanted for their fledgling football team.

The man from Beaufort Gardens in Chelsea happened to be wearing an Aston Villa shirt at the time. The boys from the Ethiopian orphanage picked up the theme, and so Asko Villa was born – a neat combination of the name of their town outside the capital Addis and the Villians from the Midlands.

But, and it was a big but, the only kit they could find on a shoestring budget was Manchester United cast-offs.

Really, said Villa? I think we can do something about that. McFadyean is on his way to pick up the new strip that will wing its way east later this summer.

Kit provider: Ben McFadyean from Chelsea (R)

The cousin of former British Lion, Colin McFadyean, downed tools from a theology college when he decided he wanted to get his hands dirty as a Christian rather than just talking about it.

He flew to Addis off his own back and linked up with the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s organisation, and got involved with the orphanage.

He is now back doing his bit at a soup kitchen for the homeless in Notting Hill Gate, but was in touch with Villa on his return.

He added: “The boys are pretty good. They won three football tournaments and we needed an identity, and that’s when they saw my shirt.

“Alan Greenfield, head of merchandising at Villa, said we can’t have them wearing Man U kit, and luckily the boys are going to get the real thing for which I know they and me are going to be very grateful.”