A teenaged Indian slum-dweller, who is the son of a sex-worker, has reportedly been given a chance to show off his footballing skills during a two-week trial at Manchester United.
16-year-old Rajib Roy, from the back-streets of Kolkata, has been dubbed the Indian Wayne Rooney and he caught the caught the eye of United scouts during a national tournament.
According to the Daily Star, Roy, whose life could be transformed in the same way as the central character of the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' if he is successful, said that he was continuously asked how it felt to be the son of a prostitute and then achieve something like this.
However, Roy, who is described as a pacey striker with 'dazzling dribbling skills', added that when he found out that he was selected for United, it was like a father's recognition for him.
The report mentioned that Roy has grown up playing barefoot in the squalid streets of the Sonagachi district, home to 12,000 prostitutes, and shares a tiny room with his mother Rekha and younger brother, existing on only 20 pounds-a-month.
Roy has no idea who his father is and many of his friends have fallen into crime and drugs, the report added.