New little devil is a City fan

Manchester United spotted future star 
- when he was aged just THREE

Wonderkid ... Charlie Jackson

LITTLE Charlie Jackson is being tipped as a Manchester United star of the future after the club's scouts spotted his amazing talent — at the age of THREE.

While most toddlers his age were still struggling to find their feet, soccer-mad Charlie was learning his first step-overs and back heels.

The coaches at Old Trafford were bowled over by his skills and would have snapped him up on the spot.

But they have had to wait until he turned five before he was old enough to start training at their development centre.

And now Charlie — a diehard Manchester CITY fan — is honing his tricks on the pitch with a group of other youngsters who are almost a year older than him.

Proud

His proud dad Andy, 38, said: "His idols are Joe Hart and Mario Balotelli and at first he was mortified that he was having to train with United.

"He really didn't want to go - he's really anti-United. It's as if we've brainwashed him but I promise we haven't. Eventually I had to say to him, 'Look, we'll let United train you up - then when you're really good, you can go to City'.

"He is something else when it comes to football - it's like the ball is stuck to his foot.

"People just stand there and watch him - they can't believe he's only five because he's so good."

Charlie, from Denton, Manchester, was spotted at three while training with Footytotz — a community football programme for boys and girls — where the United scouts singled him out but said he was too young to join them.

Two years later they returned and snapped up Charlie — who has a season ticket with his dad and watches every Man City home match.

Four years ago The Sun revealed how wonderkid Rhain Davis was signed by Manchester United after stunned scouts viewed a DVD featuring his mesmerising skills.

It was sent to the Red Devils by the nine-year-old's grandad and showed him playing for an under-10s team at home in Brisbane, Australia.