Student sports journalists running a website from their city centre flat are the unlikely subject of an article in The New York Times.

The trio from Christ Church University have amassed more than one million visitors to their fansite covering US Major League Soccer.

MLSGB.com has become so popular that a veteran reporter for the famous American broadsheet dropped in on them in Canterbury.

His visit led to an article on their achievements – complete with photos of the students in their flat above a restaurant in Palace Street.

MLSGB.com was set up in May 2014 by third year journalism student Louis East to cover the US game for British fans.

The 21-year-old from Dartford runs the site with fellow undergraduates Ben Ashton, Lewis Addley.

Their news stories, match reports and statistical analysis have racked up an impressive 1.2m visitors.

It was since spotted by NYT sports reporter Ken Belson – a previous Pulitzer prize finalist – who came to the city to visit while on an assignment covering an American Football game in London.

In late October he wrote an article in his paper headlined In England, Embracing MLS for What It Is, Not What It Isn’t.

He said: “I was immediately struck by their encyclopaedic knowledge of MLS soccer."

“Their banter never stopped in the three hours we were together."

“It would be fair to say they know far more about MLS soccer than 90 percent of the fans in the United States."

“Some would say obsessed. I'd say impressed.”

And he had high hopes for the trio on landing journalism jobs when they graduate next year.

“Louis, Lewis and Ben also described their course work at university and how they were applying it to their website – writing, editing, posting photographs and so on,” Ken added.

“They said their ideal was to work in the soccer world. But I suspect they would be employable at any number of news outlets.”

The coverage has sparked a surge of transatlantic interest in the site.

Louis said: "I've been amazed with the positive responses we've had from MLS fans since the New York Times article was published.

“To gain such great recognition for 18 months of voluntary work is incredibly rewarding.”

And he called on UK fans to give the less fashionable US league a try.

"We just want to continue to link fans of the game from the US and the UK. I'd urge anyone who hasn't watched MLS here in Britain to give it a chance,” he added.

“The entertainment factor can't be beaten and the quality is growing dramatically each year.”

Lewis says the experience has made him even more determined to work as a sports journalist after university.

The 21-year-old, from Broadstairs, said: "It was a great experience to meet a leading journalist from one of the world's biggest news outlets.

“Ken’s stories about his own experiences only furthered my desire to work in the field of sports journalism after university.”

Click here to read the New York Times article.