THE young Jonathan Woodgate could have ended up under an even harsher media spotlight at Leeds United's bitterest rivals if things had turned out differently.

While he was playing for his local club, at Marton, near Middlesbrough, then manager Ivor Hyndman organised a trial for him with Manchester United.

However, things did not work out and Woodgate was signed up on associate schoolboy terms by Leeds United.

He had already spent two years with the centre of excellence at his hometown club Middlesbrough, but chose not to sign for them.

He was part of a successful under-13s youth side when with Middlesbrough, which reached the finals of an international football tournament held in Sunderland, in 1994, only to lose out to Celtic

Middlesbrough's former youth development officer Ron Bone, now head of recruitment at the centre of excellence, remembers a quiet boy who would pop in for an hour or two of training each week.

He said: "When I saw him as a boy we never had any behavioural problems from him and he was always well-mannered.

"He was good on the ball but had no real outstanding attributes. He played in midfield initially and later switched to defence, having grown considerably after leaving school. It was a big surprise to see him get as far as he did."

* FORMER scout Ron Lester was on the verge of signing up Woodgate while he played for another local side, Nunthorpe Athletic.

Mr Lester, who scouted Teesside for Queens Park Rangers, watched Woodgate half a dozen times in the mid- 1990s before he was snapped up by Leeds.

He said: "He was a nice enough kid, but when you tell them you are from a professional club they usually are on their best behaviour.

"I thought he was quite ordinary. I remember lots of others better than him and I did not think he would make it."