A MORTON footballing prodigy hopes to make waves on the international stage this week as he heads to Ireland looking to impress in the national set up.

Ethan Kaye, 13, has been making waves with his performances in the Cappielow academy since joining up with the youth set-up just over a year ago.

And his performances in that time have seen him catch the eye overseas.

Ethan's building up for a big weekendEthan's building up for a big weekend (Image: Christopher Dodds, Newsquest)

Over the course of 2024, the forward-thinking midfielder has been invited to take part in the Football Association of Ireland's national academy trials in the hope of earning a place in the national under-15 squad in two years' time.

And his performances under the eye of national coaches have seen him make it down to the final 60 candidates.

They'll make the journey to Dublin again this weekend for the experts to cast their eyes on what could be the country's next generation of talent.

The call came as a surprise for the youngster, given he lives in Scotland, but he's determined to make the most of the chance that's coming his way this weekend.

“I’m really excited to be heading over to Ireland this weekend," he told the Tele.

"I’m really looking forward to it.

“When my dad had told me that I'd been invited over, I was quite surprised, because it’s a different country.

“I didn’t know how they were able to watch me play, so it was a really good feeling when I found out.

“I just want to work as hard as I can when I get there now.

“I’ve been in the Morton academy for just over a year now and I’m really enjoying it.

“We train three nights a week and we might have a couple a games a week and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.”

Ethan has all the backing of his coaches and teammates at MortonEthan has all the backing of his coaches and teammates at Morton (Image: Christopher Dodds, Newsquest)

The level-headed kid isn't getting too carried away with himself though as he focuses on enjoying his football.

“The sessions I’ve had with Ireland already have been really good," He added. "The sessions are really fun.

“They run with a warm up a few one-v-one drills and then games.

“If I was to make it into the national set up in a few years time it’d be an honour, but I know I need to do my best to keep on getting invited back.”

Ethan's dad, Gordon, couldn't be prouder of his son who keeps on going from strength to strength.

He admits that he's blown away by his boy's ability to keep his cool and just remain focused on his enjoyment of the game.

He added: "As a family we're all really proud of him. He's a really good kid.

"He doesn't get too high with the highs, or low with the lows, and he just enjoys playing his football.

"He knows that there's no expectations on him and that there's no guarantee that he continues to be invited back, but he just goes and gives it his best shot.

"We're over the moon for him."