School named after Mario

The 21-year-old, who has won over fans at both City and elsewhere with his eccentric activity since arriving at Eastlands from Internazionale, added the latest entry to his entertaining scrapbook after becoming friends with a Sudanese citizen kidnapped at a young age and forced to participate in the country's civil war.

Kon Kelei, now 29, was forced into battle as a four-year-old by rebels of the Sudan's People Liberation Army, but he later escaped the conflict and became a refugee in Holland.

After graduating in law during his time in the Netherlands, he returned to South Sudan following their declaration of independence, after which a film documenting his life was produced, titled 'The Silent Army'.

Balotelli was so moved after watching the biopic that he made contact with Kelei and offered to help finance a project to build a secondary school.

The forward, who once made headlines for confronting a bullied child's tormentors at their school, admitted he was touched by Kelei's decision to return home even though further conflict in the seems a major possibility.

“Kon told me that he was forced by the rebels to use a rifle that was bigger and ­heavier than he was," Balotelli explained. "He wasn’t even able to hold it properly.

“But he managed to run away and save himself. He could have built a new life but he wanted to help his country, so I have helped him.”

The secondary school in Cuey Machar will now have a 'Mario Balotelli wing' in the Italian's honour.