Norfolk to Qatar: YouTuber vlogs the 2022 World Cup

Ellis Platten, who lives in Attleborough, travelled to the Middle East to record videos for his successful channel AwayDays which showcases football from a fans' perspective.

The 25-year-old, who went to Flegg High School, said it had always been a "dream" to go to a World Cup but admitted to feeling torn because of the controversy surrounding this year's tournament.

He said: "The channel has got to a point where because it is so reliant on football, it didn't make any sense to not be there - I had to go.

"It was just a bit of a shame the one that worked out logically career-wise was this one which felt a bit clouded."

Qatar's World Cup had been widely criticised due to human rights issues which led to accusations of sportswashing.

Mr Platten, who supports Leeds United, admitted it was a "weird world" in Qatar with billion-pound stadiums and huge structures but "barely liveable" wages for some workers living there.

He said: "The people were lovely, the tournament was well-run and it's great at surface-level but I didn't expect it to not be.

"But underneath that, I felt it was quite fake.

"I left before the semi-finals after England got knocked out and most shops had already taken down a lot of their football stuff already.

"I wanted to show a realistic experience of what it was like travelling to and from the games, the general atmosphere as a fan as well as the general mood and atmosphere."

Mr Platten attended 10 matches while in Qatar - all five England games, three Argentina matches, as well as Uruguay's clashes with Portugal and Ghana.

But these choices were no accident.

"You're chasing a narrative a lot of the time but it's always hit and miss when you do that," he admitted.

"I saw Argentina twice because that just felt like the story with Messi and also the place for the views.

"But I did that same thing with Portugal for Ronaldo and it didn't have the same effect so it's trial and error.

"The World Cup was essentially an evolving news cycle and you had to be so fast because with four games a day in the groups it can be old news quickly."

And such as his enthusiasm for the beautiful game, Mr Platten travelled back from Qatar to Ebbsfleet to attend an FA Cup second-round encounter against Fleetwood - but was back in the UK for just 24 hours.

He said: "I landed back in the UK it was raining and thought 'welcome back to England'

"I landed on the Saturday, the game was the Sunday and then flew back to Qatar the Sunday evening.

"The only time the jet lag has set in is when I'm back now."

Despite the success of his channel, Mr Platten, who also collects football shirts, hopes to one day transition into mainstream presenting.

He insisted that being a YouTuber was "never the plan" initially.

He added: "Being a YouTuber definitely has a lifespan, I never set out to do it.

"Even if you're one of the best creators in the world, the time comes when you have to try something new.

"In five years' time, I don't want to keep looking shocked into a thumbnail. I want to be doing more polished work."

You can watch Mr Platten's videos at Away Days on YouTube.