STEPPING UP IS A TALL ORDER!

A FRESH TAKE ON FOOTBALL

- Chris DUNLAVY

NICK Woltemade - the two-metre Messi - is the talk of Europe after starring for Germany at the Under-21 European Championships.

Yet it wasn't so long ago that an even loftier striker was being linked to some of the biggest clubs on the continent.

Kyle Hudlin signed for Solihull Moors in 2020 after scoring 25 goals in 22 games for Step 7 side Boldmere Falcons. At 6ft 9ins he was, so far as anyone could tell, the tallest footballer in England.

That sort of physique tends to make people take notice and, sure enough, a video found its way to Manchester City.

In those pre-Haaland days, the thought of Pep coveting a Non-League skyscraper seemed absurd, but the interest was real. City's recruitment team were sufficiently intrigued by the footage to send a living, breathing scout to Damson Park.

Nothing came of that visit, nor of a rumoured move to Celtic. By the middle of 2022, however, Hudlin had joined Championship side Huddersfield on a two-year deal.