Two Bradford youngsters are a step away from football stardom after landing places in the Pakistan under-23 squad.

Irfan Khan, 19, and Usman Hussain, 18, beat off stiff competition during a trials day in Rotherham to be selected. From a total of more than 300 hopefuls, only nine were selected to join up with home-grown players.

Both recently enjoyed an all-expenses-paid trip to Pakistan to take part in a training camp, which featured visits to the elite Jinnah Sports Complex in Islamabad - used by a host of national sporting squads, including the country's cricket team.

The squad then travelled on to Iran to take part in a World Cup qualifying tournament.

Now back in Bradford, Khan and Hussain will travel to Pakistan again at the end of the month to take part in another training camp, before jetting to games in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Maldives.

The pair, both tough-tackling central midfielders, have also recently been on trial at Scunthorpe, where they impressed coaches enough to be asked to return in the summer with a view to joining the Championship side's reserve squad.

Hussain, currently a youth worker and former pupil of Rhodesway School in Allerton, said: "We were both really pleased when we learned we had made it.

"We were the only two from Bradford who were called up. Hearing the national anthem before games makes you feel very proud."

Former Garforth Town player Khan added: "While in Pakistan we stayed in Fifa House in Lahore. We were both selected to play in games. It's a great honour. I don't think either of us expected we would get this far.

"We went to a press conference with the team and we could not believe the amount of press there - there were about 100 cameras!"

Khan and Hussain both have the same long-term aim - to make the grade as a professional in the British game.

"Playing with Scunthorpe we had to play at a high level too," said Khan.

"I think we both want to get a full-time contract and I'd love to play in the Premiership."

Before their return to Pakistan, both have been the star attraction at a series of primary school assemblies in the Manningham district.

"It's important to be a good role model," said Hussain, who has previously turned out for Bantams youth sides.

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