ONLY throwing the goalkeeper gloves on two years ago, a Tyne Valley teenager has signed for a professional football club.

Having completed his GSCEs at Prudhoe High School, Will Quinn (16), of Muggleswick, has been snapped up by Championship outfit Preston North End.

And the youngster looks set to become the next professional goalkeeper from the area, following in the footsteps of Fraser Forster and the Alnwick brothers Ben and Jak. He has signed a two-year scholarship with the Lancashire side.

Starting out as a striker with Prudhoe YC 10 years ago, it wasn’t until he filled in between the sticks in a middle school game when the original goalkeeper was injured did he realise he was any good with his hands.

He has blossomed from there and was part of the successful Prudhoe YC Reds U15 team which won their league two years ago, while he helped his new team Monkseaton U16 to the county cup a few months ago.

Will has been part of the North-East Quantum Trialists team which has toured the country playing professional academy teams, including Blackpool, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic.

But it was Preston who took a punt on him after he impressed during two trial games. He said: “I got a call back after playing an initial trial game and the club invited so many back, then picked four for the scholarship. I was pretty chuffed when they offered me it!

“In the first trial game, I let one in at my near post but the rest of the game I played pretty well so I’m pleased with how it went. It’s going to be hard to get into the team with a second year scholar ahead of me, but it’s like waiting your turn so I’ll work hard and see how it goes after that.”

Will started training with Preston a few weeks ago and is enjoying the high standard of coaching at the club, even if he did miss out on a session with first team number one Anders Lindegaard, formerly of Manchester United, after breaking a finger!

He said: “What is most striking is that it’s like playing on bowling greens, and it’s not like your Sunday League pitches!

“The training facilities and all the nutritional advice are excellent, and they treat it like a job so you get fined if, for example, you don’t wear flip flops in the shower!”