MATHESON MAGIC THE MOTIVATION FOR BEES CLASH

MORE than six years have passed since Luke Matheson turned into an overnight sensation at the age of 16, but he can still remember the finer details of that September night at Old Trafford.

- BY TYRONE MARSHALL

Matheson was then a schoolboy at Trinity Church of England High School in Hulme, when he scored for Rochdale against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup third round.

He said: “Even being on that pitch, even being able to travel to that game, was enough for me. To score, it just took it to another level.

“I saw the ball hit the roof of the net and I just remember hearing a roar that I just ran to.

“I've watched it that many times, I can tell you exactly what happened.”

Matheson had just got his GCSE results and was a bright kid, but his future lay in football.

He first played for Rochdale when he was 15, and by the time he was 17, he was signing for Premier League Wolves for £1million.

But the career path of a promising young footballer is rarely smooth.