TALENTED footballer Sam Wisniewski has used his soccer skills for a role on the big screen.
The nine-year-old Linthwaite lad is already one of Huddersfield’s best football prospects.
He has won a UK freestyle football contest, performed at Manchester City’s Etihad stadium and once did 745 kick-ups with alternate feet.
Currently contracted to Championship club Barnsley FC, Sam is used to performing on the pitch.
Now the youngster is taking his ball skills in front of the cameras for upcoming Manchester United themed movie, Theatre of Dreams.
The movie – starring Bourne Identity actor Brian Cox , Hollywood actress Natascha McElhone (inset) and TV star Philip Jackson – tells a fictional story featuring Manchester United legend Sir Matt Busby.
The British movie, which is being filmed around Manchester and Bolton this month, sees Sir Matt (Cox) in the twilight of his life taking up one last footballing challenge as he bids to put the demons of the 1958 Munich Air disaster to rest.
The film begins with Sir Matt helping a wayward 11-year-old kid achieve his footballing dream, but ends with him healing his own personal scars left by the air tragedy that wiped out most of the Manchester United team.
Dad Adrian said on top of his promising football prospects Sam had now turned his hand to acting.
He said they had heard the directors of the film were looking for fledgling actors with soccer skills and, after a number of auditions, he had clinched a role alongside lead youngster Jack Smith, who plays 11-year-old tearaway Georgie.
He said: “He’s not done any acting before, just a little bit at school at Christmas, but he’s taking to it like a duck to water.
“He’s got quite a few lines with Brian Cox and he’s been in about half the scenes.
“Brian and all the actors have been fantastic with him, it’s been a real pleasure.”
Adrian said his son had been filming for more than two weeks already, and had been given a personal tutor so he didn’t fall behind on his work at Linthwaite Ardron School.
He said they hoped to do more acting work and said Sam was getting used to the limelight having already made his TV debut in a short advert for a Cheshire-based Ford dealership.
“He’s just having fun, it’s been a great experience,’’ he said.
“It’s great to see that massive smile all over his face.”
Theatre of Dreams is set to hit cinema screens in 2012.
