TEN-year-old Alex Morgan has followed in the footsteps of David Beckham by winning a football skills competition run by Premiership champions Manchester United - despite being an Arsenal fan.

Alex, who plays for Caerleon Under-11s, was presented with a trophy by Sir Bobby Charlton at Old Trafford after winning his age group of the Manchester United Soccer Skills School.

Having won the Newport area compeition last May, he travelled to Manchester along with 120 youngsters from across the UK for Saturday's final.

Finishing as the top scorer in the entire competition after showing off his skills in five disciplines, the keen Arsenal fan walked out in front of 67,000 football fans at half-time during Saturday's 6-1 over Southampton to collect his prize.

At the age of 12, David Beckham won the same competition and Alex has been invited to attend a week's worth of training from the Manchester United coaches in the new year. A pupil at St David's Junior School in Cwmbran, the youngster had trouble keeping his true allegiances quiet.

He turned up at Manchester United's The Cliff training ground, where the competition was held, wearing his Arsenal shirt.

Competition organisers gave him a United T-shirt to wear over his red Arsenal top and, as one of the four age group winners, he walked out with the packed Old Trafford crowd completely unaware he was wearing the red-shirt of their London rivals! But the budding footballer from The Moorings, Newport, showed he is bright as a button by telling Sir Bobby Charlton a tiny white lie.

The Manchester United legend asked Alex which team he supported. His mum Sarah said he had his fingers crossed when he told Sir Bobby he was a Manchester United fan.

Proud dad Andrew said: "We took him out for a meal to celebrate on Saturday night and he was very excited about it all. "We are both very proud of him."