TWO aspiring professional footballers have secured scholarships with Bolton Wanderers.

Bedford High School pupils Matthew Marsh and Jordan Grant are celebrating after winning the highly sought-after scholarships with the Championship team.

Year 11 pupils Matthew and Jordan, who are both aged 16, were first spotted by Wanderers talent scouts while playing for Leigh East Under 9s Junior Football Club.

Midfielder Matthew and defender Jordan have since worked their way up through the ranks of the various youth teams before being awarded the scholarships.

Matthew, from Leigh, said: “I’ve been playing football since I was small and really want to do my best to get into the professional game, so this is a great chance for me.

“It has taken a lot of hard work, training and practice to get here. Not everyone is offered a scholarship, so I feel really lucky.”

Jordan, who is from Atherton, says he is looking forward to getting stuck in.

“It will be a great opportunity for me to concentrate on football after I leave school this summer but first we have to do well in our GCSE exams, which are also very important,” he said.

Both boys have set their sights on places in the Wanderers Under 21s team before going on to play in the first team.

They will train twice during the week before playing their matches on Saturday.