Dave takes fast track to top

The bright lights of Old Trafford might be a long way off for now,but Dave Cotterill is certainly setting about his Bristol Citycareer with some gusto.

The 17-year-old dreams of playing one day for Manchester Unitedand doesn't appear in the least bit daunted by the scale of the taskbefore him.

Cotterill is poised for a third successive start against Blackpooltomorrow and, having enjoyed a taste of first-team action, theforward-turned-winger is not about to relinquish his place easily,even if a certain Scott Murray is breathing hard down his neck.

Cotterill has taken the fast track to stardom, from the moment hegot serious about the game at the age of six.

He recalled: "I had to travel to Barry a few miles away as theydidn't have teams for six-year-olds in Cardiff.

"I must have been about 10 or 11 when a Bristol City scout spottedme playing and asked me to go for a trial. Two weeks later I wassigning schoolboy forms for them!" Not content with Academy football,however, Cotterill was still only 15 when he made his debut up frontfor the reserves.

And he was still two months short of 17 when he took his big bowas a last-minute substitute for the seniors in the 0-0 draw againstColchester in front of almost 12,000 fans back in October.

"It was absolutely wicked playing in front of all those people forthe first time," he said. "I felt quite relaxed about the whole thingand more excited than nervous.

"Tony Fawthrop (Academy director) had taken me aside a few daysbefore the game and said I might be involved, then the manager toldme on the Thursday he was planning to give me a run-out.

"I was thrilled and, when I came on, I was given a free rolebehind the front two and told to cover the left wing area when wedidn't have the ball.

"I was given another chance straight away in the LDV against MKDons and we won 2-1. I felt I played well and it was great that thefans seemed to warm to me."

It wasn't all plain sailing, though. "I didn't get a call-up for awhile after that and I felt a bit down at first," said Cotterill.

"I had a spell back playing with the under-18s and, without beingdisrespectful to them, it was tough at first. I'd experienced thefirst-team scene and I wanted to be back with them.

"But I knew deep down football isn't like that and the only way Iwas going to get another chance was to knuckle down."

Apart from another brief outing - in the 0-0 draw with Hartlepoolat Ashton Gate in December - Cotterill had to wait until lastSaturday, and the 2-0 success at Colchester, for his first full call-up.

"When the manager pinned the teamsheet up a couple of hours beforekick-off, I couldn't stop staring at it when I saw my name was inthe starting line-up," he said.

"Again, I didn't have any nerves and the lads were reallyencouraging. Playing at this level hasn't fazed me at all - and nordoes the pressure and expectations of being a City player. My aim allalong had been to make my first-team debut before I turned 17."

Of his long-term ambitions, Cotterill insisted: "It would be niceto think I could play for Manchester United and Wales or England! "Mymum is Welsh and my dad's from Preston, so I can play for either. AndI've just been called up for an England Under-18 training camp, eventhough I've played for Wales Under-19s three times!"