A SILKILY-skilled teenager is on course to play alongside Wayne Rooney after wowing judges with his stunning football tricks.

Sixteen-year-old Jordan MacQuarrie, of Lindisfarne Avenue, Blackburn, was tipped as a star of the future by the Lancashire Telegraph when he appeared in the newspaper for his ball juggling skills aged just two.

Now he is one step closer to realising his dream after beating hundreds of hopefuls at the regional heat of Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker competition, at Manchester Athletics Arena.

And Jordan is set to return to the Manchester venue later this month to battle it out with 23 other finalists, competing for the chance to have a kick around with Manchester United and England star Rooney, who they will meet as part of the challenge.

Competitors have to show off their football tricks in the free ‘freestyling’ contest.

The footballer who is eventually crowned Coke Zero Street Striker 2008 will be awarded with a trip for themselves and three family members to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, where street soccer is said to have originated.

Jordan, a former Darwen Vale High School pupil, who is described as a ‘natural footballer’ by his dad Scott, decided to enter the freestyling contest, where players perform juggling routines with the ball.

He treated judges to tricks, including balancing the ball on his head and rolling it down his back in time to a Brazilian Samba.

Scott, believes his son’s talent was clear at an early age.

He said: “He won his first contest at two. He’s completely natural, but I’ve pushed him because it would be a shame if he wasted his talent.

“He’s always been really small, but he’s started growing now.

"I’ve always said when he gets to 17 or 18 he’ll shine and now he is.”

The next heat will be filmed by a crew making a programme for Sky One but it will not be the first time the teenager has appeared on TV as his talents have been featured on Match of the Day, Sky Sports and news programmes.

Jordan is set to start a course at Myerscough College, near Preston, in September but according to Scott, he could be in his ‘dream job’ by then.

He said: “I’m really proud and chuffed to bits.

"He’s always played for the town team and now Bolton Wanderers are interested in him.

"I’m confident he’ll make it – he has the talent.”