AN AMATEUR sports club could be set for a multi-million pound transformation after Wayne Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford revealed ambitions to get Rylands FC into the Football League.

Mr Stretford, the agent of footballing superstar Rooney, has told the Warrington Guardian that he wants to construct a footballing centre of excellence for Rylands FC that would allow them to join the North West Counties Football League.

The move would form part of an ultimate ambition to get the club into the Football League, which Mr Stretford said would be a ‘dream come true’.

He said: “I want there to be a centre of excellence here in Warrington for local players and that doesn’t exist at present – I don’t think there is any other place in the town with enough space so there is a big opportunity there.

“For me it would be a dream come true to bring the highest level of football available to the town.

“The town needs to have at least one club that can make its way in to the Football League – we are one of the major providers of football players at non-league level but no one has the ability to go all the way through to the Football League with their facilities at present.”

Rylands FC has already acquired Fife Rangers as part of their expansion plan, and the Crab Lane club will be rebranded Rylands Juniors from next season onwards.

Mr Stretford played for Rylands FC in the 1970s and 80s as part of a side that completed an unbeaten season, winning the league and cup and he has supported the club financially for the last four years.

His Triple S Sports and Entertainment Group is based on Mag Lane in Lymm and his top client Rooney has previous links with the club having filmed footage for a mobile phone app there back in 2013 The club will also host Salford City, the club endorsed by Manchester United’s famous Class of 92, in a pre-season friendly on July 12.

Mr Stretford said: “My plans are to secure the football team and the environment that is used for sports – both for the football club and for the community in general.

“If that meant working closely with the rugby club then I would consider that but that’s probably the only other sporting outlet I would consider when moving my plan forward.

“We have to have the facilities to move forward and presently, despite the investment already made, we do not have that.”

At present the Gorsey Lane site also hosts cricket and crown green bowls.

Mr Stretford added: “The days where the club was a thriving environment supported by a major employer are now gone and that hasn’t been the case at Rylands since I played because time has moved on – the ability to do what was done 30 years ago is not the same today.

“We want to have the facilities to offer opportunities for young people in Warrington to play football – from boys and girls right through to open age.

“It would be wrong to say anything is cast in stone and the club could vote me down anyway – we as the football section would need to look at our options elsewhere if that was to happen.

“I went to see what Latchford Albion have done at Victoria Park and that’s a magnificent ground and facility but it is only used for rugby league which is well-represented in the town.

“In the very near future I’m hoping to meet up with the powers that be to see what opportunities they perceive are available to us and once we know what those are we will move forward.”