A YOUNG football fan who braved the wind and rain to watch Pele training in Bolton in 1966 hopes to see the Brazilian star again when he returns to the town.

David Heaton was aged just nine when he became the subject of a back page image in The Sun newspaper, when Brazil were in town ahead of the 1966 World Cup, training at Wanderers' former Bromwich Street training ground.

The image shows Mr Heaton alone on the sidelines in the driving rain, with Pele kicking a ball during a training session.

His grandfather obtained a copy of the original and the picture still stands on Mr Heaton's wall at his home in Ainsworth.

Fifty years on Mr Heaton is now hoping to get Pele's autograph when he comes to Bolton in September for a sportsman's dinner event at the Macron Stadium.

Pictures from the time at the Wanderers training ground showed a number of youngsters cramming around the pitches to get a look at the stars.

Mr Heaton, a retired civil servant, who was a pupil at Brandwood Primary School at the time, said: "I was absolutely made up when I saw the picture in the paper. As you can imagine I was the envy of all of the kids.

"I think everyone else had gone to duck for cover because of the rain, but the picture shows me staying out because I wanted to see Pele up close."

Albert Cooper, the photographer who took the picture, covered Olympic Games and World Cups during his time working for The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Sunday People — and he still remembers that wet day in Bolton.

Mr Cooper, aged 80, who lives in Lytham St Annes and has since retired, said: "Everyone had gone inside other than me, the young boy and the Brazil players.

"I thought it was a great shot and I sent it off to London where the pictures were developed."

The newspaper article in The Sun, alongside the picture, carried the headline 'For two there is no rain'.

It read: "The fascination of football, the wonder of watching the world's finest inside forward train, make the rain — the torrential, drenching, crowd scattering rain — almost pleasant.

"And certainly for a small boy adequately clad against the elements there will be a story to tell the like of which no boy in his class has ever dreamed of.

"His absorption is absolute, unwavering, and Pele, the 'Black Pearl', could never have been watched with greater admiration.

"Perhaps the 'Boy in the Rain', brave as he is to stand while others, more senior, have scattered for shelter, does not realise that he is not alone with his intent scrutiny of Pele in training at Bolton.

"Every country in the World Cup was waiting the outcome of this spin in the wet.

"And the word came through later: 'Pele is fit and will play at Goodison Park against Portugal tomorrow night.'"

Tickets for the Pele event at the Macron Stadium on September 17 start from £149.