Weston PARK Boys' School believe they may have unearthed a 21st century version of Graham Roberts.

The irony is that Peter Castle, the lad in question, is too young to remember the exploits of the former England international whose photo still hangs proudly in the school corridor.

Castle is so tender of age, in fact, that he recently claimed his place in history as Reading Football Club's youngest ever first-team player.

When he stepped out at Vicarage Road for his 11-minute apperance as a substitute in the Royals' 3-0 Nationwide Division 1 win over Watford last month he was a mere 16 years and 49 days, beating Steve Hetzke's 1971 record by 135 days.

"The manager Alan Pardew told me I was on the bench an hour before kick-off and when he said I was going on I was quite shocked," admitted the tall, Sholing-based centre-back, who grew up playing for Sky Blues in the Tyro League and spent six years at AFC Bournemouth from the age of nine.

Having been at Weston Park since 1973, head of PE Steve Bywater is in a perfect position to compare Castle with the schools' most famous footballing son.

From humble beginning with Sholing Sports, Roberts was discarded by Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth before moving to Tottenham Hotspur for a non-league record fee of £35,000 from Alliance League outfit Weymouth in 1980.

Bywater recalled: "Graham was a third year (Year 9) when I first came to Weston Park, but he developed and became a better player after leaving school when he'd filled out and become physically stronger.

"In my opinion Peter's slightly ahead of Graham at this age, but there's no real comparison between the pair because Peter is leaner, taller and faster.

"He has speed, quickness of thought and his tackling and heading are very good. I'm sure he will go on to make an excellent centre-back or sweeper."

GCSE student Castle is due to sit the first of ten exams on Monday in physical education, but he is more than just an athletically gifted young man. The school prefect shines academically, too, and Bywater said: "He's a model pupil, very intelligent and I would be staggered if he struggled with his GCSEs."

Although Bywater would like to see Castle further his education at a local college, the lad himself has agreed to take up a scholarship with Reading.

Citing PE, information technology and science as his strongest subjects, he said: "I will get an education as part of the scholarship as well as continuing in the Reading Academy."

After playing for the Southampton and Hampshire Schools' sides, Castle made the international grade over Easter when he played for England Under-16s at a tournament in France.

Such talent could easily go to a young man's head but Bywater said: "Peter's a pleasant lad, not a bragger and he doesn't like showing off."

So will Weston's young king of Castle follow Roberts' famous footsteps into the big-time. "I honestly think he could," said Bywater.

"Graham had a lot of determination and Peter's got that, too, but you never know because different managers see different things.

"It would be nice if he did make it. Weston Park have had Graham Roberts, Francis Benali came from Bellemoor and Peter could be the next one."