A FLYING RL winger is being tipped as a star of the future after signing his first professional contract at Super League level.

Former Hawcoat Storm and Barrow Island youngster Adam Ford has been snapped up by Wigan Warriors after a year of impressive displays in their scholarship side.

The 16-year-old has signed a two-year deal at the DW Stadium, with the option for a third year, and Wigan’s education and development manager Steve McCormack – the Scotland international coach and former Barrow Raiders boss – sees huge potential in him.

“He’s done really well for us this year,” said McCormack of Ford.

“We noticed him at Wigan St Judes (where the former Furness Academy pupil, who picked up 11 GCSEs this summer, has played for the past two seasons. He joined our scholarship last year at under-16s and as the season has gone on, he has developed into a very good player. He has done outstandingly well.”

Ford follows Dalton product Liam Paisley – now an established part of the Warriors Under-19s team and a member of the England Academy side – in heading to Wigan from Furness.

A former member of the Cumbria Storm Academy, he will move to Wigan to live with a host family, while also continuing his education at a local college as part of his full-time deal.

It is a dream come true for the talented ace, and dad Rob said: “He only started playing when he was 11 or 12. His mates were playing rugby and they said he should go along and down he went.

“They’re asked when they come through the options at school what they want to be. He said he wanted to be a professional rugby player. It’s what he has wanted to do and he’s achieved it – it’s pretty amazing.

“It’s going to be a massive change for him, because he is moving down there to go and live with a host family, and then there is a training regime. He has already started training with the under-19s and it’s a significant step up.

“We’ve seen him in the Wigan colours at under-16s, and it will be nice for him to go on and do it on the professional stage. It’s his full-time job now.”

Ford was part of the Barrow Island Under-14s side which won a treble in the Barrow and District League, and he was picked from there for the Barrow district team and the Cumbria set-up. He also played rugby union for Hawcoat Park for two seasons.

He has spent a year travelling four times a week to Wigan for training and matches, and helped the Wigan scholarship side go undefeated through this season, earning him his new deal.

McCormack sees a lot of potential in Ford, and added: “He’s been in our system for 12 months and he has come a long way in a short space of time. Physically, he is very good; he’s very quick; his skill levels have improved; and he has been the top try-scorer for our scholarship side this year – he has scored some outstanding tries.

“Everything about him is superb. What he does off the field as well, and he has shown a lot of commitment coming down from Barrow three times a week to train, is up there. He is potentially a very good player.”