LEAVE IT TO PUNGE!

This cute kitty has the knack of lifting everyone's spirits – from the sports team who adore him to his many online fans

- COMPILED BY ALULUTHO GUZANA

HE'S one of the year's biggest breakout sport stars with his own line of merchandise and an appearance in a video game.

But the newest star of Ohio's Bowling Green State University's football team in the US doesn't catch the ball or tackle rival players - he's more of a mascot, really.

Pudge the Cat, a scrunchy-faced exotic shorthair with a permanent scowl, has nuzzled, noshed and napped his way into the hearts of sports fans everywhere - and become the face of the varsity's football team, the Falcons.

The three-year-old Persian, whose owner George Carlson (22) is on the team, languidly stepped into the limelight in August when George brought him to the team's locker room after a tough practice.

The guys were feeling low because several players had been injured and George thought Pudge might put smiles on their faces.

After another teammate, Finn Hogan, posted a video of Pudge on Instagram and another shared one on TikTok, the feline football hero became an online sensation.

The Instagram reel generated two million views, with 300 000 watching the clip on TikTok.

Even the team's head coach Eddie George, who's allergic to cats, has grown to love Pudge and has given him an all-access pass, making him a part of the team.

Now Pudge goes everywhere the team go, hanging out in the locker room and supporting the boys on the sidelines.