OMARI HUTCHINSON was signed by Charlton after playing in a car park

OMARI HUTCHINSON was an internet sensation at the age of 12, but only now is he getting the stage he craved.

Hutchinson, 21, has been on a high since scoring his first Premier League goal as Ipswich drew 1-1 with Manchester United last week.

Now he has Nottingham Forest in his sights as the Tractor Boys battle to prove they are good enough to mix with the game's established stars.

And it's a feeling Hutchinson knows all too well, despite his super skills being praised by Pele when he was a schoolboy.

Chelsea released Hutchinson twice and gave him just two first-team appearances before Ipswich paid a club record £22.5 million for the youngster in the summer.

In between there was a spell at Arsenal that made him famous, but not on the pitch.

Then there were the failed trials at Tottenham and Brentford.

Plus a few seasons at Charlton, who only signed the Londoner because they saw him playing in their car park.

It has in no way been a conventional route to the top for Hutchinson, even though his talent has always been visible.

A collaboration with the F2 Freestylers when he was 12 saw more than four million viewers tune in to watch his skills.

FOOTBALL FREE BETTS AND SIGN UP DEALS

He said: “It had its pros and cons.

“I became quite popular at a young age, but at that time I didn't really play much football.

“I wasn't really a starter at Arsenal at the time and at a young age you want to play every minute of every game.

“After a match I played football with my father and did extras.”

One constant, however, was the refusal to give up on his dream.

Hutchinson added: “One hundred percent. As a young player you need the confidence and belief that you can make it and become one of the best in the league – or the world. That's what I did.

“I have been to two of the best clubs in the world and trained with the first team at both clubs.

“I've seen what it takes to get to that stage and a lot of senior players have spoken to me and said, 'You're a very talented player, make sure you focus on this and that and you'll make it.'

“They also told me not to get distracted and I adopted that. I took a different path and showed myself from there.”

Hutchinson is far too young to remember Pele, the world's greatest player in the 1960s, but the Brazilian legend still played a part in his journey.

The three-time World Cup winner – who passed away in December 2022 – witnessed Hutchinson's skills during a visit to London and told the youngster he was impressed.

Hutchinson said: “It was at a Brentford tournament when I was at Arsenal under 12s.

“He was there, he came towards the end and we did some freestyle skills.

“All the teams gathered in a circle and a player from each team had to demonstrate some skills – I was forced to go up!

“He saw it and liked it. When we took his picture, he told me to come up and rest on his knee.

“I was doing kick-ups around the world and putting the ball on my neck.

“When I was young, my grandmother always said, 'You'll be just like Pele when you're older.' She gave me a lot of books and maps and things like that.

It was no surprise that Hutchinson joined Ipswich on their return to the top level after a 22-year absence, although there were other offers.

The attacking midfielder, who can play alongside the number 10, had helped them to promotion last season when he was loaned out to Chelsea.

And Tractor Boys manager Kieran McKenna promised Hutchinson the chance at regular football he craved.

He said: “I spoke to Kieran in the summer and it was a no-brainer to come here.

“I knew I was going to play in the Premier League, which is a rare event.

“I saw that it is easier to win the Lottery than to become a professional footballer in the Premier League.”

However, Hutchinson still has one big decision to make: choose England, where he plays for the Under-21s, or return to Jamaica, for whom he has played a few friendlies and qualified through his father.

No Town player has represented the Three Lions at senior level since Richard Wright in 2001 – and only twelve in total.

That could change soon, but Hutchinson insisted: “I have a very high ambition, but I'm not focused on that at the moment.”