AS a schoolboy Jonathan Greening was just like any other young football enthusiast, eager to drag his father to the nearest playing field for an afternoon kick-about with jumpers for goalposts.

There Greening's talents were born and would eventually develop into those of a Premiership footballer, so it is little wonder the Middlesbrough star recalls those days with such affection.

With two of his brothers - Jamie, 26, and Ricky, 22 - he used to go to Scarborough's Manor Road Park with dad, Chris, for a family football match.

The park was just a short trip down the road for the Greenings, so playing regularly was no problem and new skills were quickly acquired.

"We would just get the ball out and have a good kick around. We really loved it," recalled Greening.

But it is youngest brother Josh, aged ten, who is being tipped to become an even bigger star on the world football stage.

Chris now takes Josh to the same park and Jonathan said: "My dad reckons Josh is the one to look out for. Apparently Josh is better than me when I was his age, so expect to see another Greening playing professionally in a few years!"

A pupil at Scarborough's St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Greening found himself playing football competitively for the first time at the age of eight.

Despite his age, he followed his friends to play at under-ten level for the school's Park Raiders side in the local Prevention League - unsurprisingly the impressive juniors won 98 games with him in the side.

The Raiders stuck together for years, lifting many trophies, and Greening was not the only youngster to make it as a professional. Matthew Russell and Dean Macauley both went on to sign for home-town club Scarborough.

From the Seadogs, Russell went on to play for Halifax before signing for non-league Forest Green Rovers. The defender hit the headlines this season when he played in the FA Cup for Forest Green against Exeter City, where his father is co-chairman with Uri Geller.

Macauley struggled to make a name for himself at the McCain Stadium and was released. He now plays alongside Greening's brother Ricky at North-East Counties League side Pickering Town.

But where Russell and Macauley's careers have failed to take off, Greening's is now hitting overdrive, and he already has a Champions League medal in his locker.

At 24, the North Yorkshireman has had to work hard to get where he is today.

During his spell with the Raiders, Greening was also starring for St Augustine's Roman Catholic Secondary School team.

He was receiving rave reviews all around the coastal town and it was not long before he was named in the Scarborough and District squad. County recognition for North Yorkshire soon followed.

Greening's rise was not going unnoticed and he was spotted by York City scout Ricky Sbragia, the former Sunderland reserves boss, who is now in charge of Manchester United's second string.

Greening admits he owes a great deal to Sbragia, for shortly after going to York the schoolboy forms were signed and his career was up and running.

"It was absolutely fantastic for me," said Greening. "I was just like anybody else at my age, desperate to play football professionally.

"And when York gave me the chance I couldn't believe it. I was 16 at the time and they gave me my pro contract when I was 18."

But if the level-headed Greening thought he had struck lucky with his contract at Bootham Crescent, only a couple of years later he would walk straight into a goldmine - some may say quite literally.

He had only played three League games for the Minstermen when he was invited for a four-day trial at Premiership champions Manchester United in early 1998.

Greening readily admits that the experience of walking out at United's famous Cliffe training ground was one he will never forget.

"I went in around the February time and I went into training with the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and co - it was a weird feeling, it was like whooooa!

"But all of them were sound lads and it made me feel better straight away."

After his short spell came to an end he returned to York and, in complete contrast to training with Fergie's fledglings, Greening turned out at Home Park in a goalless draw with Plymouth Argyle in the Division Two.

But just over a month later his dream, which he thought was shattered, became reality when he was told by York boss Alan Little that United wanted him to sign. He put pen to paper for the Red Devils on March 26, 1998.

He had to wait patiently to make a name for himself at Old Trafford. He started games in the Champions League and in the much-maligned World Club Championship before he was named in a Premiership starting XI for the first time.

Eventually it came and his full League debut coincided with a hard-earned United 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road against Watford.

However, that appearance was to be just one of four starting berths that Greening would enjoy before departing for the Riverside in a double deal with Mark Wilson in the summer of 2001.

But, despite his lack of opportunities, he believes spending just over three full seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson's guidance helped his game enormously, culminating in a surprise England call-up this season.

"It was a great experience playing for them and playing alongside those players. I came on leaps and bounds," said Greening.

"I learned so much about the game and I couldn't even try to explain what it did for me.

"But as well as bringing my game on the move also did a lot for me off the pitch. I learnt how to act.

"I went there as a centre-forward. It was all I knew really. It was how I had been brought up as a player.

"But when I went there they quickly took that out of my game and I found myself playing in a more withdrawn role.

"Gradually I have just grown into the central midfield position.

"The call-up for England was fantastic. It is what you want from the game, as well as club success of course. "It was a major disappointment to be left out of the last squad (when England lost to Australia).

"But if I can keep my club form up then hopefully I will get my chance - if I do then I will be ready to take it."

Greening is a devout Catholic and despite uprooting from Scarborough to Middleton St George, just a few miles from Boro's Rockliffe training HQ at Hurwoth, he still has time to go to church with his family. Father, Jamie, Ricky, Josh, 15-year-old sister Kylie and mother Wendy all join Greening at mass.

And Greening admits that religion has become an important part of his life and his perspective on it.

"I have been brought up with religion all of my life and being a Catholic," he said. "Do I have strong religious beliefs? Well I go to church every Sunday.

"It's just something we have always done as a family and even though I don't live in Scarborough now we still do it."