The family of a 14-year-old girl with an inoperable brain tumour have been "overwhelmed" by the heartfelt support shown by scores of young footballers and ex-World Cup stars alike.

Junior sides and teams from the professional ranks, including Rangers, have posed for pictures, making a heart shape with their hands, to show football-mad Rhya Story she is in their thoughts.

The hand symbol was made famous by Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale.

And veterans like Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer and AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi have also now copied the gesture for Rhya.

Hundreds of young players have posed with their teams too and sent in pictures with the hashtag #hearts4rhya.

The teenager, who plays for Haltwhistle Under-15 girls in Northumberland and loves Manchester United fell ill a fortnight ago and was rushed to hospital where a brain tumour was diagnosed.

She is staying in the high dependency unit of Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and is missing her team-mates.

They posed for a photo to show her they were missing her too, and then other junior teams got involved and sent pictures on Facebook and Twitter.

Kirsty Hutton, who owns a cafe in Hexham where Rhya's mother Catherine works, set up the Facebook appeal to get others to join in.

And the page is well on the way to getting 10,000 "likes".

She said: "We are struggling to keep up with all the photos - it has gone absolutely mental.

"Rhya's mum is living in the hospital at the moment and I keep passing on the pictures to her.

"She is totally overwhelmed, she cannot believe how many people are getting behind it.

"It's putting a smile on Rhya's face, which is the main thing.

"Gazza did a picture which was a laugh in itself - he was in his dressing gown and sunglasses."

Rhya, from Greenhead, Northumberland, loved playing football and never missed training or a match until she fell ill.