Blessed Trinity pupil training with Preston North End first team

The Year 11 goalkeeper won the Youth Alliance League, the coveted Youth Alliance Cup with PNE, and was also part of the Lancashire Under 16s team that won the English Schools Football Association National County Cup – crowning them the best county team in the country.

“That was a great game,” said Li-Bau, who kept eight clean sheets in his 10 games for Lancashire. “It was 2-2 and then we scored in the last minute. It was an amazing feeling and I ran the length of the pitch to celebrate.”

Li-Bau, who is currently sitting his GCSEs, has a scholarship at Deepdale until he is 18 after being spotted playing for Rosegrove Juniors.

“I want to be a professional footballer,” he said. “I have been playing for Preston’s Under 18s, Under 20s, Under 23s sides this season and have been training with the first team. I have been very lucky.”