Do you fancy your chances of being the 2009 winner of 'Coke Zero' Presents: Wayne Rooney's Street Striker?
Do you fancy your chances of being the 2009 winner of 'Coke Zero' Presents: Wayne Rooney's Street Striker?
The second series of 'Coke Zero' Presents: Wayne Rooney's Street Striker - a huge competition to find the nation's most skilful street footballers - has been launched and is looking for entrants.
The show, which crowned 16-year-old Travis Beckford the winner in the first series last year, will see successful players go head-to-head in front of Rooney in a winner-takes-all final, shown on
Sky1 HD later this year.
The best player will be crowned 2009's 'Coke Zero' Street Striker and win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the FIFA 2010 World Cup Final.
The show will again be fronted by Manchester United and England star Rooney, who, along with Andy Ansah, saw hundreds of teenagers show their skills before crowning Beckford last year's champion in a tense final, shown just before Christmas 2008 on three hour-long shows on
Sky1 HD.
Fun
Rooney is looking forward to again leading the search for a street football star: "I had so much fun taking part in the show last year.
"Travis was an outstanding winner, but everyone that took part really played their part and some of the skill on show was fantastic.
"I'm really looking forward to doing the programme again, and hopefully we can get more girls involved this year."
Rooney is also confident that playing street football can help players improve their all-round game, saying: "When I grew up I always played (football) on the street. I played everywhere, anywhere that I could really.
"Just little things like, you know, aiming for different targets in the street; little things that you would do with your mates for fun.
"You know, I used to play so much, all the time in fact. So when it (the programme idea) came up, it was something that I wanted to do.
"In fact, I think it really helped me to play in the Premier League. It was a good thing to be involved with.
"Street football can really help you (to improve as a player). It is a lot harder, for example, to control the ball and to do various things on the street that you would otherwise do on the pitch. So if you can do it on the street then it can really help you."
To enter, players must be aged between 14 and 18 and register their interest in attending one of seven trials being held throughout the UK between 27th July and 2nd August 2009.
Trials take place at Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London where specialist scouts will be looking for players who embody Rooney's passion, determination, skill and raw talent.
Entry details are available in full at
www.cokezone.co.uk/streetstriker
