Rural restaurant gets unexpected visit from some of football’s biggest names

Some of football's biggest international stars made an unexpected visit to a rural Norfolk restaurant.

Former Inter Milan players turned up at the Water's Edge in Bramerton on Sunday, having beaten the Norwich City Legends squad at Carrow Road.

The likes of Nicola Berti and Alessandro Bianchi enjoyed a cruise along the River Yare on four boats organised by the Norfolk Yacht Agency.

For 51-year-old Berti, soaking up the sun on the bow of the 62-foot Evita, was the perfect way to relax after two games in three days.

On Friday the squad beat a Chelsea legends side 4-1, before the 2-1 win over Norwich City Legends.

'I love this, especially with the sun,' he said, getting his first taste of the Broads. 'I have been to Norwich once before, with Tottenham, but not on the river. It's lovely, the scenery and peace.'

Massimo Paganin, who played in both legs of Inter's UEFA Cup win over Norwich in 1993, and Francesco Colonnese joined their team mates on board the boat captained by NYA managing director James Fraser.

Colonnese, who played 56 games for Inter and had spells with Roma, Napoli and Lazio, said the Norwich side, including Bryan Gunn, Darren Huckerby and Grant Holt, had proved a tougher test than Chelsea.

'Much harder - they were younger,' he said. 'Huckerby was playing in America not long ago - he was very fit.'

Mr Fraser, who was asked to provide the hour-long cruise by the sports marketing specialist who instigated the legends match, Darren Venn, said the players had been a joy to have on board.

'They were a real pleasure, incredibly polite,' he added. 'I'm pretty sure they had a good time if the dancing on the way back down the river was anything to go by.'

After enjoying a meal at the Water's Edge at Bramerton, the evening ended on a perfect note for the travelling Inter players as they watched their successors in the famous blue and black shirts snatch an unlikely Champions League place with a dramatic late winner at Lazio.

The game at Carrow Road, attended by more than 17,000 people, was in aid of the Community Sports Foundation. Any money raised will go towards the construction of a new community sports hub near Norwich Airport.