A TEENAGE football star has vowed to continue his efforts to become a professional despite narrowly missing out on victory in a television soccer talent show.

Tom Bird, who lives in Lambs Row, Lychpit, Basingstoke, finished an agonising third in Sky One's Football Icon 2, the winner of which received a professional contract with Premiership champions Chelsea.

The final show of the series was screened on Friday, December 8 Tom's 18th birthday, and saw the talented left-back shown the door by Chelsea's youth team bosses before the final showdown.

"I was absolutely gutted when they told me I was going home because I felt I deserved to be in the final two," said Tom. "They told me it was nothing to do with my ability, but because of the number of left-backs they already have at the club.

"I really, really wanted to win and I was bitterly disappointed that I didn't, but I am still glad I took part in the show because it was the best experience of my life."

Tom beat off competition from 17,000 other hopefuls to make the last 14 of the show. They moved into a house in Esher for two months for intensive training and assessment and were gradually whittled down until a winner was chosen.

However, having got as far as he did in the competition, Tom is determined to make the grade.

He has had a trial with Cardiff and positive responses have also come from FC Twente, a Dutch club he trained with in the final few weeks of the show.

"I thought I did quite well at Cardiff but they said they have enough left-backs at the moment," Tom said. "However, the transfer window is coming up and they said they might give me a call if they lose someone."

Tom had to take a year out of his studies at Basingstoke College of Technology for the show, but has the option to go back and do the second year of his BTEC National Diploma in Sports and Exercise Sciences next September.

"If I do not make it as a footballer, I would like to either coach football or be a PE teacher," he said. "I would like to get to university though because that would open up a lot more options."