Former US soccer player Eddie Johnson has offered three-year-old Nevada a place in his training programme after a police dispute at a Florida youth soccer match drew widespread attention online. The offer comes after children's entertainer Ms Rachel called on sports figures to support the youngster.

Nevada was playing against children around five years old in an i9 Sports league in Winter Park on Saturday, 24 October, when officers responded to a dispute involving his parents and a league official. His family said the incident followed complaints that the toddler was dominating the game, although league representatives have disputed the account.

Eddie Johnson Offers Nevada a New Opportunity

'They wanna dim his light,' Johnson wrote on Instagram Stories, later telling Nevada: 'They thought they were taking your dreams away, but in reality [they] made you the most famous three-year-old in the world right now.'

The former US international said he had previously met Nevada and his father at his training facility when the boy was two. Johnson said he allowed them to use cones and balls to train but could not commit to working with him at the time because of his existing commitments and Nevada's age.

Johnson also criticised the treatment of the youngster, saying it was 'sad and shouldn't be tolerated at all in youth sports'.

Ms Rachel Calls for Sports Stars To Show Up

Children's entertainer and educator Ms Rachel has called on prominent sports figures to support Nevada and invited him to appear on her show. 'I'm LIVID! Please sports people give him all the experiences and love,' she wrote on Instagram, describing the incident as 'racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting'.

However, there is no official finding that the police response or league decision was motivated by racism.

Why Were Police Called to Nevada's Soccer Game?

Videos shared by Nevada's family show him dribbling past older opponents and scoring before footage cuts to his parents speaking with officers. Nevada's father said in the video: 'They called the police on a 3-year-old because he's too good' and claimed the child had kept the ball for too long.

However, an account reported by Yahoo News gives a different explanation for why officers attended. An i9 Sports official reportedly told police that Nevada was a good player but alleged that his parents had become disruptive following disagreements over playing time. A 911 call also reportedly described an 'unruly parent'.

Winter Park police said officers were contacted by a league official over a disturbance involving the player's parents. The department said the matter was civil, nobody was arrested and nobody was forced to leave the park.

Nevada's Mother Says He Is 'Traumatized'

Nevada's mother, Martasia Griffin, said the three-year-old had been targeted throughout the season because of his soccer ability. Speaking to The Breakfast Club, she said some parents complained that other children could not get the ball. 'I cannot explain to my three-year-old son that he cannot play today because he's so good,' Griffin said, adding that she continued to let him play until police arrived.

i9 Sports said it had contacted the family and begun a review, including speaking with those involved. The league also reportedly offered Griffin a refund for the fall registration. Griffin later told HuffPost that Nevada was 'traumatized', saying he still wants to play soccer but does not want to return to the same place.

Nevada is expected to join Johnson's training programme in January. His family has said he began dribbling a soccer ball at 10 months old and trains with his father for around three hours a day, while videos of his skills have been shared by sports-focused social media accounts.