US-based Posh fan prepares to watch Wembley final

Derrick Smith recently took delivery of Tayo Edun's match-worn top from the Cambridgeshire derby in March

An American man with a passion for Peterborough United plans to have beer with breakfast before his side plays at Wembley.

Derrick Smith caught Posh fever during a work trip to England in 2019, despite living almost 4,000 miles (6,437km) away in Columbus, Ohio.

He said he had been "hooked" ever since and would watch Sunday's EFL Trophy final against Birmingham City with friends.

"We'll sit around the big telly and scream, cheer, cry – hopefully not cry – and enjoy the match," the 39-year-old said.

It was a love affair that began in January 2019, when the estate agent watched Peterborough take on Chelsea's under-21s side in London.

Despite future Chelsea first teamers Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour playing, the Posh side led by Ivan Toney won 3-1.

"After that I just became a big fan of them, I was hooked after that," Mr Smith said.

"Believe it or not, there's five or six of us here that have Peterborough kits now."

Derrick Smith said he fell in love with the community feel of Peterborough

His passion since then has known no bounds, having even taken a 20-hour round trip from the US to watch Peterborough take on Manchester City in one day in 2022.

"That was a little crazy, I'll admit that," he conceded.

"But there's nothing more real than smelling the grass, getting a little bit of rain on you, having a pint with your friends and watching the match."

'Feels like home'

The passionate fan drew comparisons between his home city and Peterborough, saying both were quieter and lesser-known on an international scale.

He continued: "I resonate with Peterborough being a smaller city, but it's also one of the first towns I got to explore on my own in England.

"I got a really good chance to meet the community and hang out in the square.

"I like the fact Peterborough is more blue collar, working class and a place that feels like home to me."

Posh's influence is spreading in the US, thanks to Mr Smith's efforts

As for Sunday's cup final, "kegs with eggs" - or beer with breakfast - is on the menu for when the game kicks off at 10:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

"Kegs and eggs is the vibe, it's a big tailgate atmosphere when we watch sport like that," Mr Smith added.

"If we don't have a fry up at my place then we'll probably go out to a pub.

"Then we'll have everyone looking at us like 'who's that team playing Birmingham?' – it'll be fun."