THE thing about cliches is that they are grounded in truth. So while it might sound patronising to say that Aiyegbeni Yakubu always dreamed of playing professional football, as he kicked a ball, barefoot, in the backstreets of his Nigerian homeland, it is also the truth.

That his dream should come true just adds another chapter to the fairytale story of Middlesbrough's star striker.

"Everyone plays street football in Africa in bare feet and that was all I wanted to do. My dream was to play football," said the 23-year-old from Benin, who is well on the on the way to becoming the first Middlesbrough player to break the 20-goal barrier in the top flight for more than half a century.

"In Africa, most people don't have boots, they play with bare feet," he continues. "It is difficult because they do not have the money to buy such shoes. When I started I played barefoot. You just used your feet to play before you had money for shoes."

He can't remember his first pair of boots but he will always remember the occasion.

"I didn't have boots until I was 12, when my brother Eshibor bought me my first pair as a present because he could see I was quite good," he said. "It was a big present. They were brand new."

The sacrifice was worthwhile.

Four years later and Yakubu's potential was spotted by Nigerian second division outfit Okomo Oil, where he played for one season before moving to one of the country's premier teams, Lagos-based Julius Berger.

Setting a precedent that he has kept up ever since, Yakubu went on to become the leading scorer in the Nigerian League in his first season.

His goalscoring prowess soon brought the player to the attention of overseas clubs and during that summer top Israeli side Maccabi Haifa paid in the region of £350,000 for his services.

He was immediately loaned out to strugglers Hapoel Khar-Saba but despite scoring six goals he was unable to prevent them from being relegated at the end of the season.

Scouts were still keeping tabs on Yakubu and he was close to joining Dynamo Kiev in March of 2001, only for Maccabi to extend his contract for a further year in an attempt to push up his value, the deal falling through as a result.

Although Chelsea were rumoured to be interested in his signature, Derby County were the next to court his services, but although he played in some friendly matches in the summer of 2002, problems obtaining a work permit meant a transfer was not possible.

Derby's loss was Maccabi's, and arguably Yakubu's, gain, however, with the frontman scoring five goals in five Champions League games for Haifa, a hat-trick against Greek side Olympiakos being the highlight.

It is something that remains fresh in Yakubu's mind and an experience he is eager to replicate.

"I had just left Derby because I couldn't get a work permit and went back to play a few games for Maccabi Haifa and it was unbelievable to play in the Champions League straightaway," he said.

In the qualifying rounds of the tournament, Maccabi had already disposed of Belarus side FC Belshina Bobruisk when they came up against the Austrians of Sturm Graz.

Yakubu scored twice in the first leg as Maccabi ran out 2-0 winners, however, he went from hero to zero in the second leg as he was sent off in the 3-3 draw.

Maccabi were drawn against Manchester United, Olympiakos and Bayer Leverkusen in Group F, but the red card meant Yakubu missed out on the mouthwatering trip to Old Trafford.

" I was devastated. It was very hard for me because it meant I couldn't play in the game at Manchester United," he said. "It was hard for me because I really wanted to play at Old Trafford and I was really looking forward to playing there but I made up for it because I scored against them in the home leg and then scored a hat-trick against Olympiakos."

Yakubu enjoyed his time in Israel, both on and off the pitch, although the tensions between the Arabs and the Israelis did cause some concern.

"It was difficult because that was the first time I had lived away from home and from my parents.

" I was a bit homesick. It was difficult because of terrorists and suicide bombers but apart from that it was a great place to live," he said.

"The football was good and a little bit different to the Premiership because you have to be very quick here and it is a little bit slower over there. But I enjoyed my time there."

It was after leaving Israel that Yakubu really came to prominence, signing for Portsmouth, initially on loan, in January of 2003.

He scored on his debut and then scored twice and played a part in three other goals in his second match.

It was form like that that led to Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren shelling out £7.5m for him in 2005.

This season he has scored 18 goals, 13 in the league, and is well on the way to becoming the first Boro player since Alex McCrae, who scored 21 in 1950-51, to reach the 20-goal benchmark.

McClaren recently hailed him as potentially one of the deadliest in the world and it is a tag Yakubu is determined to live up to, not least because of the faith placed in him by so many along the road to stardom.

"A lot of people believe in me and I don't want to let them or myself down," he said. "I work hard and if you want to be the best you have to give everything."

Yakubu has four years left on his contract at the Riverside, but such is the bond he has developed with the club he is already talking about staying on beyond the end of that deal.

"I am happy here and I am not thinking about leaving," he said. "It is a good feeling to be here. I have no regrets about joining and I think I can fulfil my ambitions at Middlesbrough."

One ambition Yakubu is yet to realise involves the family that worked so hard to help him get to where he is today.

As yet they have not been over to England to see him play, but with Boro just two steps away from a place in this year's FA Cup final, he is hoping they might make the trip to the Millennium Stadium should the club make it that far.

"My parents have not been over to see me play in England, yet," said Yakubu who has six brothers and one sister.

"But if we get to the FA Cup Final I hope they will all be able to come."