KEEN footballer Joshua Hughes is looking forward to the chance of a lifetime on Sunday.

That's the day Joshua, who lives in Ludlow, goes up to Old Trafford for the grand finals of the Manchester United Soccer School, a follow-up to his winning a skills competition in August.

He will compete with 65 other winners, aged from six to 14, in five specific skills for a first prize of a visit to Juventus, the Turin club which is Italy's nearest equivalent to "the Reds."

Josh, who goes to Ludlow School, started playing football six years ago at the age of six and now plays in midfield for Woofferton Under-12s. He can still appear for the team, even though he turned 12 in October.

His mother, Deborah, says Josh is a keen fan of Manchester United but his ambition is to play for Hereford United.

His day at Old Trafford will include a behind the scenes tour of the ground. He will have a chance to see the trophies and go down what is probably the world's most famous football tunnel on to the pitch.

But the team's big names will not be there as United are playing away at Chelsea.

United's summer schools programme - which is open to both boys and girls - has expanded its syllabus for 2004, its fifth year of operation. Ludlow School is one of the first stops on the programme's nationwide circuit and a visit is scheduled for April 3 and 4.