A TEENAGER was named a Premier League hero on the same day she got to rub shoulders with her Clarets idol.

Unity College student Jessica Keenan, 14, has become a shining star at the Kicks programme, run at at the Brunswick Street multi-use games area every Friday.

And she was a natural pick when Burnley FC in the Community (BitC) was asked to nominate a ‘hero’, out of nearly 760 young people who attend 15 sessions across the borough and neighbouring Pendle, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley.

But what really made her day was when Burnley striker Andre Gray strode into an assembly at the Towneley Holmes school to hand over the honour.

The identity of the special guest was a closely-guarded secret but Jessica let slip, chatting with BiTC social inclusion manager Rebecca Robertson, the Wolverhampton-born marksman would be her ideal pick.

Jessica, who lives in Burnley Wood, said: “I was just saying to Rebecca, before he came, that I wanted it to be Andre so it was great when he walked in.

“Going to Kicks over the past few years has been really good and I’m hoping to volunteer for them fairly soon.”

Mrs Robertson said: “She comes down every week and has done for a long time, even when her friends started dropping off.

“She is a really good role model for her area.”

Her prize was a framed comic strip of her ‘Kicks’ story, illustrated by Marvel’s John McCrea, from first turning up aged 11, to scoring at Turf Moor while winning a tournament for the project, now in its 10th year.

Andre said: “I was in their position not so long ago so it’s always good to get involved with our work in local schools.”

Part of the assembly involved the forward fielding questions from Jessica’s fellow year 10 students.