UK rapper scores a winner on US dance chart

An unknown London rapper with aspirations to outdo Baddiel and Skinner's Three Lions football anthem has edged out Tiesto and David Guetta to top the US dance charts.

Dretonio, 28, an Arsenal fan from Hayes, has secured the number one spot with a football song called Stand in Line – despite the sport's relative unpopularity in America .

He said: "It's amazing that Americans have taken to the track so much. I never expected it to be so successful as it can be so hard to get things taken up over there, but it's really cool."

Singer Greg Valentine also features on the track, which was written and produced by Gary Louca. The original song found new fans when renowned DJs Soul Seekerz, who have worked with Rihanna and Britney Spears, remixed it into a dance track. Commercial DJs hand-picked it to play on the radio and in clubs.

The track will be released in the UK on 27 May, ahead of the European Championship.

Producer Louca said his dream was that the song could echo the success of football anthems like Three Lions.

He said: "The fact that this has been picked up by DJs in America is hugely positive — it's gone from nothing to number one in two weeks. There are some fantastic football songs around and it's a dream for this to become as popular as them."