What's in a name? Quite a lot for one little girl whose football hero is on the verge of signing for Brighton and Hove Albion.

Eight-year-old Kanchel White was named after Ukrainian winger Andrei Kanchelskis, who is now training with the Seagulls.

She wants the former Manchester United legend to sign a contract with the club and hopes to meet him one day.

Kanchel, who attends Whitehawk Primary School, was named by her grandmother Beryl White, a lifelong Manchester United fan.

Kanchelskis, a former Russian international, was Beryl's favourite player when he helped United win the league and FA Cup double in 1996.

Beryl, 57, of Whitehawk Way, Brighton, said: "I was asked to pick a name and decided to link it to Manchester United.

"If it was a boy, we were going to call him Jordan Wayne Trafford after the stadium.

"But the night before Kanchel was born my son rang me up and said, 'You've got a problem, we are expecting a girl'."

"So I got my paper and pencil out and started going through the United team but obviously they were all men's names.

"Then I stumbled across Kanchelskis, who was my favourite player at the time, and realised if I dropped the 'skis' it would make a nice name.

"It's funny he is now training with the Albion. The whole thing seems to have gone full circle."

Kanchel's father Matthew White, 32, from Lewes, a lifelong Albion fan, said: "I think it would be really nice for her to meet him. I think he would be honoured that a child has been named after him."

Kanchelskis, who lives in East Grinstead, has been the centre of will-he-won't-he speculation for weeks.

He has already turned down a move to join a team in Switzerland but there is still interest from several foreign clubs.

Albion spokesman Paul Cammalin said: "At the moment there is not a lot we can do because he still has not signed for us. We will have to see what happens."