BRIAN Kidd's new £4.5 million striker Ashley Ward could have been picked up by Blackburn Rovers for nothing!

For the Ewood club wanted to sign Ward - set to make his debut against Leeds United this afternoon - while he was still a Manchester schoolboy.

But problems with his school, which didn't play competitive football in those days, meant that Rovers missed out on a youngster who eventually joined Manchester City a couple of years later as a trainee.

Now the wheel has turned full cricle and Rovers were forced to write a massive cheque to capture the finished product from First Division Barnsley.

It was in the mid-1980s when Jim Furnell, then in charge of Ewood youth development, was alerted to the potential of a 14-year-old Ward by the club's Manchester-based scout Ted Taylor.

"We had a good look at him and wanted to take him on as a schoolboy," recalled Furnell.

"But we spoke to his dad and he said not to bother as there would be big problems with his school making him available because of the policy they had towards football.

"So we missed out."

Ironically, Ward was back at William Hulme's GS in Manchester this week to help launch a new era - they have started playing football again after a gap of nearly 70 years!

Until this week, the school had concentrated on rugby union and lacrosse during the winter months.

Ward's football career began to make significant progress when he left William Hulme's to go to Maine Road as a trainee but he recalls the days when Rovers were chasing him.

"I can still remember Blackburn being interested and I trained with them a couple of times," said Ward as he prepared for his Ewood bow today. "I think I also played in a couple of matches for them. "But, when I eventually left school, I joined Manchester City which, at the time, was known as one of the best youth set-ups around."

Some 14 years later, Ward has finally arrived at Ewood. And, while the new boy was preparing for his first Rovers appearance, the club's longest-serving player, Jason Wilcox, was also set to celebrate a special milestone in his career this afternoon - his 250th game.

Barring any last-minute mishaps, Wilcox was in line for his 250th full game for the club.

The duo could have grown up together at Ewood if things had worked out differently, Wilcox serving his Rovers apprenticeship around the same time that Ward was a City trainee.

"It's just good to know that I will have played 250 games for the club and I am only 27, so maybe I could be looking at a similar number again," said Wilcox, who has been at the peak of his form recently.

After the win over Aston Villa, we reported Kidd's belief that Wilcox was capable of returning to the England stage.

And the winger said: "You appreciate it when your manager says something like that about you. When you get a run in the side, your confidence grows."

In addition to his 250th start, Wilcox has also made 26 senior appearances as a substitute. He has enjoyed a new lease of life since Kidd took charge but the manager is also delighted by the response of all his players.

And he put that down as one of the major reasons why he was named as the Carling manager of the month for December yesterday.

"Its down to the players and staff, it reflects on the desire and hunger to do well that they have all shown," said Kidd.

"The way the four weeks have gone is a testimony to all of them and the award reflects that.

"It's a team effort and I have had great support from everybody." Kidd also collected a magnum of champagne from the sponsors Carling.

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