When growing up, many of us dream of throwing on our favourite team kit and running on to the field with our heroes.

Whether that is for the North Queensland Cowboys, the Brisbane Lions, the Queensland Reds or Manchester United, it is a dream that is rarely fulfilled.

Cannonvale’s 15-year-old soccer player Todd Jenkins is one of the lucky ones.

He was selected to represent the Australian under 17s futsal team at the world championships in England last year and was approached by scouts from Liverpool to attend trials.

From there Jenkins went on the ride of his life and was able to cross off many of the things on every aspiring soccer players’ wish list.

Trials went well and the former Adelaide resident was asked to stick around to play for Liverpool’s reserves in a couple of games to see if he could mix it with the big boys.

This allowed Jenkins to play on many of the famous arenas that most people will only ever see on television including Liverpool’s home ground Anfield and that of their fierce rivals Everton, Goodison Park.

He even got the chance to mix it with some of the games global superstars on the training paddock.

Household names such as Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso have now kicked the ball with a star of the future.

All this from a professed self-learner.

“I started playing soccer in Adelaide as a kid, basically just to make friends,” Jenkins said.

“I haven’t had much high level coaching but I really love futsal and moving through the rep teams in that has given me an opportunity to go to Liverpool.”

It may not be the last time that Jenkins walks Anfield’s hallowed turf either as he’s been offered the chance to sign a pre-contract with the iconic Liverpool club.

The pre-contract gives Liverpool first rights to include Jenkins as part of their squad if and when he steps up to professional, which he hopes will be some time next year.

In the meantime the new resident of the Whitsunday region is looking at playing in an amateur competition in the area to continue to develop his skills and fitness.

It’s unlikely that he will be short on takers.

Source : Whitsunday Times
By : Ben Glover
Published : 20/2/2009