A TEENAGER footballer has come back fighting from a serious knee injury which threatened to put his career in jeopardy.

Ian Zarac, 19, is on the BTEC Sports Studies course at Blackburn College and was studying for his A-Levels when he was told he may never play football again after a bad tackle damaged his knee.

But after months of physiotherapy Ian, who plays for Blackburn All Blacks, has been picked to play in the British College's National Football Squad to travel to Trinidad and Tobago at the end of March, representing Great Britain. Before this the team will also play the Royal Air Force under 25s on January 12 and, the English School's National team on January 13 and the English Universities on March 4.

Ian said: "I am really excited about joining the squad. I was studying A-Levels when the accident happened and doctors told me I might not even be able to walk properly let alone play football." His tutor Cliff Olsson said: "Ian is a shining example of determination, courage and hard work. We're very proud of him."