IF young Keir Smith is on the road to football stardom, he appears destined to clock up hundreds of thousand of miles in the process.

The 12-year-old from Turriff is showing genuine promise for the future.

However, the bid to realise his dreams of becoming a professional footballer is coming at a price - in time and fuel. Luckily, it is a price that both he and his parents are more than happy to pay.

On Monday and Wednesday evenings, his parents, Jeff and Liz, share the driving for a 200-mile round trip to Dundee.

It can be even further on Saturdays - perhaps Glasgow, Edinburgh or Kilmarnock - if he is playing away as a member of Dundee United's under-12 side.

The plus side is that he gets to play weekly against the best young footballers in the country - and he is spending quality time with his parents.

Dad Jeff Smith, director of Keith Builders Merchants, said: "He talks the whole way, that's just his personality. It can't be bad that Liz and myself can enjoy that time with him. We also know he is lucky to have this opportunity, so we are happy to do our bit.

"His school, Markethill Primary, have also been very good at letting him away sharp for his training nights, and we can usually time it so that we are able to stop and get something to eat."

Jeff said Keir's talent for football was obvious from a very early age. "From primary one, the teams he played for seemed to be built around him.

"He is very fast, and has a reading of the game which is way beyond his years. For a long time he was a striker, scoring goals for fun, but Dundee United are using him as a left midfielder.

"He is such a natural athlete, and seems to be able to perform well immediately at any sport he attempts. For a while, before he concentrated on football, he was doing really well at judo."

Keir started playing football with Turriff Youth Football Club before being selected for training with Deveronvale FC's U-10 and then U-11 development squad, and eventually playing with the U-12 team.

However, after joining Dundee FC's under-11s, and when that club went into administration, he was asked to join the Scottish Football Youth Initiative development programme for Dundee United.

"As an SPL club, it is a very professional set-up," said his dad. "As well as the usual training, he gets strengthening and conditioning work, and guidance on his diet.

"He wants to play football when he is older. Whether it is with a top professional team, a Highland League side or an amateur outfit, only time will tell, but he has a good attitude, and whatever he achieves will not be for the want of trying."

LIVING THE DREAM

A few weeks ago, Keir lived every young Manchester United fan's dream when he stepped out on the Old Trafford turf the day after the English Champions clinched a record 19th league title.

He had won a place to play football in the world-famous 'Theatre of Dreams' during the English champions' 'Champions Day' after taking part in a player development course run by Manchester United Soccer Schools in Aberdeen in April. Impressed scouts selected him to represent Aberdeen at the Premiership giants' big day.

Keir joined around 50 children who took part in a specialist football workshop on the Old Trafford pitch with the top coaches from Manchester United Soccer Schools.

He also enjoyed a backstage tour of the stadium and even made the journey down the club's sacred tunnel and onto the pitch.

Keir said: "It was awesome!"

He also had the chance to travel to Manchester United's training ground at Carrington and play a few training games on the full-size indoor pitch while under the close scrutiny of United's academy coaches.

Proud dad Jeff concluded: "I hope it's not the last time he plays on the Old Trafford pitch!"