BUDDING young footballers from the North-East have been invited to showcase their skills in front of coaches from one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

A dozen young ball wizards impressed visiting scouts from Italian giants AC Milan at three summer holiday football camps across the region.

Seven were selected from the combined camps in Blyth, Northumberland, and Hebburn, South Tyneside, while five caught the eye of the Italian talent-spotters at last week’s five-day camp at Monkwearmouth Academy, in Sunderland.

Among them was ten-year-old Dominic McCabe, from Meadowfield, near Durham, who will join the other 11 selected North-East players on a trip-of-a lifetime, next Spring.

The Neville’s Cross Primary School star is now looking forward to a tour of AC’s cavernous Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, in San Siro, Milan, which the club shares with city neighbours Internazionale.

The visitors will also take in an AC Milan match in Italy’s top division, Serie A, as well as taking part in training sessions with the club’s youth and junior players and coaches.

Proud mother Sherida Murphy said it was a great feeling when Dominic was named with the four other selected players from the 140 youngsters who took part in last week’s camp.

“It was an amazing achievement for him, which I’m bursting with pride about!

“I think Dominic was the only Durham child that attended the camp,” she said.

Another of the chosen five was nine-year-old Vinnie ‘Owensy’ Owens, from Hollycarrside, in Sunderland.

The Redby Academy pupil was among the youngest of those selected, and his mother Christine said he can barely wait for the Italian adventure to come round.

Both boys are proudly pictured wearing their red and black strips of the Rossonero, as AC are nicknamed.