( CNN ) -- This was a not a normal reserve team fixture for English second-tier club Doncaster Rovers . For a start , a bevvy of teenage girls started arriving ahead of their development squad 's clash with Rotherham around midday . And when the teams finally took to the field , a crowd of around 5,000 fans had amassed for a fixture that would usually attract only a handful of diehard supporters . But then , it is n't every day that Louis Tomlinson -- one fifth of the most popular boy band on the planet -- is the star attraction . A mixture of applause and high-pitched screaming greeted the One Direction singer , who signed a deal with his home-town club last August , when he was introduced as a substitute . Try as he might , the 22-year-old could n't break the deadlock as the match petered out into a goalless draw . `` Just pulling on the shirt is just a boyhood dream , '' he told the club 's official website after getting 25 minutes of action in the match that helped support a local charity . `` It 's absolutely amazing , those boys get to do that every week and it really is such an honor to be involved in a club , where I spent most of my childhood going down to the games . '' One Direction were formed through British talent show X-Factor in 2010 and have broken record after record since -- their success stateside even being compared to that of the Beatles . Tomlinson stars alongside Zayn Malik , Harry Styles , Niall Horan and Liam Payne in the band , who are managed by music mogul Simon Cowell . They are the only UK band to have had their first two albums reach No.1 in the U.S and have a combined 98 million followers on Twitter . Tomlinson 's hectic schedule with the band had prevented him making his debut before now , and he spent a month training with the club before Wednesday 's bow . One previous high-profile appearance in an all-star charity match ended prematurely when he was tackled strongly by Gabriel Agbonlahor -- leading to a wave of abuse on social media for the Aston Villa star . `` I had to get fit first , because a few people saw what happened last time when Agbonlahor nobbled me and that was a bit of a mare and I had to try and avoid that , '' Tomlinson added . `` I did alright in the end I think . I think its really important that when we are lucky enough to be in the position that we are in , to use that for the greater good . `` It is really important to spread the word about ( children 's hospice ) Bluebell Wood because they are such a great , great charity . '' So could Tomlinson be persuaded to put his pop career on hold in a bid to try and make it full time with Doncaster ? When asked if it was easier being a pop star than a footballer he replied : `` Physically it is much easier is being on stage and singing because those boys are proper athletes -- football is harder . `` To get an insight into the football world has been fascinating and to be invited into that is such an honor . `` I have really enjoyed it and I ca n't thank the people enough at Doncaster Rovers for having me . ''
One Direction star Louis Tomlinson makes football debut for Doncaster Rovers . Pop star plays for first -tier British club in a reserve fixture against Rotherham . A crowd of One fans turned up to watch , mostly teenage girls . 22-year-old Louis Tomlinson played around midday and called it a `` boyhood dream ''