A TV advertising boss was smiling like a Cheshire cat after managing to thrust Bolton Wanderers into the limelight -- opposite a performing mouse.

Matt Edwards could not resist grabbing his Trotters home kit when the script for the latest Aero ad called for a soccer shirt to be used.

His powers of persuasion proved so great that the advert's producer, Charles Crisp, even took the grubby top home to wash and iron it.

It was presented to actor Nick Frost -- famous for his role in the TV comedy Spaced -- to wear in his role as a van driver in the commercial.

The delivery man is shown unveiling Aero's talented new import -- a dancing mouse which comes free with every chocolate bar bought.

The on-screen shopkeeper, however, is unimpressed and opens a cupboard to reveal more than 100 of the rejected tricksters -- each desperately trying to impress but left on the shelf by chocolate lovers.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted the Wanderers shirt after the ads were aired on television for the first time three weeks ago.

Mr Edwards, associate director at London-based ad agency Lowe Lintas, said: "I just had to get the shirt on air. It was too big an opportunity to miss and it was my way of flying the football flag."

The 28-year-old Oxford graduate hails from Derby but he followed in the footsteps of his Wanderers-mad uncle, Alan Hadcroft, who recently moved to the town to be closer to the Reebok Stadium.

Over the past 10 years, Mr Edwards has also been a frequent visitor to Burnden Park and the Reebok and attended the play-off final last year.

He now has his sights on persuading manager Sam Allardyce to appear in the next advert and promises to send him a year's supply of Aeros if he keeps Bolton in the Premiership.

He said: "The offer's definitely there. It's just a shame we couldn't get Sam on screen this time around."

A spokesman for Bolton Wanderers said: "Sam's a chocolate lover so I think Nestle's offer will prove to be a further good incentive."

The Oriental operatic mouse has become a cult favourite among TV viewers. The £2 million advert was developed by a team of top animators who created the sleek new performer and perfected the choreography of its Oriental dance.