A NORTH-EAST student has been selected for the national American football team.

Rhys Bingham was a stranger to the sport when he enrolled at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, until he decided to join its American football society.

Rhys enjoyed the sport so much he entered trials for the national American football youth squad. Six weeks later, he found out he had been selected.

The 18-year-old, from Syston, Leicester, a first-year student on the disaster management degree, said: "I want to join the fire service, that is why I chose disaster management.

"I found out about the course on the Internet. It is not a typical degree, more practical, learning things that you can actually use. The skills I am acquiring will help with fire investigation."

Rhys played rugby for eight years and enrolled in the university's American football society for a change.

He said: "It is a great contact sport, with 11 on the pitch. I play in the line-backer position; it's defensive to stop the ball from coming through.

"I decided to go for the trials earlier this year for the national youth squad, which has players aged 16 to 19."

He hopes to try for the senior squad next year.