'I went from Crewe U15s to tackling Vinicius Jr in a match with 2002 World Cup legends'

EXCLUSIVE: A teenage Crewe Alexandra academy star lived every fan's dream by playing in a football match with some of the greatest players the game has ever seen

Few modern day footballers can say they have played against or alongside Brazilian World Cup-winning stars.

Legends of the game Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, who beat England on their way to lifting the prestigious trophy in 2002, on Friday turned out in a Soccer-Aid style charity match - dubbed ‘The Beautiful Game’.

The former El Clasico foes arranged the event and captained either side, where they were joined by footballing icons of the past and present. Among those invited to the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida were legends Rivaldo, Ronaldo Nazario and Carlos Valderrama, as well as current stars Paulo Dybala and Eder Militao.

But also joining them on the field was Tom Graves - an upcoming English talent on the books of none other than League Two side Crewe Alexandra’s U15s.

READ MORE: Selfie-seeking pitch invaders get Ronaldinho charity game cancelled after Rivaldo magic

Tom’s dad, Eric, exclusively told Daily Star Sport how the “100% crazy” once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came about thanks to the defender’s uncle, whose company Do Not Age sponsored the front of the kits and was given two spaces to feature alongside some of the very greats.

And so Tom, a budding professional footballer himself, was flown over to meet his uncle at the resort where Ronaldinho and the other players were staying in Orlando. Upon arrival, there were some question marks over whether the young full-back should play given he was the only non-adult in the line-ups.

But the 14-year-old quickly impressed in a game of foot-volleyball against Brazilians who played it for a living. An impressed Ronaldinho watched on and decided he would be able to hold his own.

How would you fare playing against Vinicius Junior? Let us know in the comments section.

“It was a lot of pressure playing in front of Ronaldinho to start with to be honest, but after that I just focused on getting the ball over the net,” Tom laughed. “Then they allowed me to get on the players’ bus.”

Household names like Cafu, Dida, Juan Sebastian Veron and a host of influencers like Khaby Lame arrived at the resort villas on the day of the match while a starry-eyed Tom blended into the background.

But there was no avoiding the limelight once the young footballer was brought on as a substitute at half-time during the charity match, in which Rivaldo turned back the clock with an outstanding strike and current Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. ran opponents ragged.

Tom said: “I was told to come on up-front to start with but was moved to left-back. I play for Crewe as a right-back but Cafu was still playing so I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity to replace the best right-back ever!

“The first time I got the ball I was nervous with 20,000 watching me. It was nerve-wracking. They were really good at holding the ball so I thought when I get the ball I have to make sure I don’t give it away.

“Their team didn’t have much of a formation so I was able to get on the ball quite a lot. After the first few touches I managed to settle in a bit and just played how I usually play. I was up and down the left side and played a few crosses in.”

The defender made up the back line alongside Cafu, former Bayern Munich centre-back Dante and NBA champion Leandro Barbosa, shielded by the ever-determined Javier Mascherano in central-midfield.

Yet there was a moment of terrifying reality when Vinicius Junior took over from the more predictable Nani on Tom’s flank. Before long, the silky Los Blancos winger was driving at the full-back with his full box of tricks.

“When Vinicius got on the ball I had to give myself a bit of room because I knew he was fast. He pulled out quite a few skill moves and body-feints so I made sure I worked my feet to try not to fall over,” Tom said on facing one of the most feared players on the planet.

The teenager attempted to jockey the 22-year-old Brazilian, but admitted: “I overcompensated a bit at first so he took it inside and ran past me.”

However, in a moment that he and his family will remember forever, the Crewe talent managed to recover and nick the ball back with a tackle inside the box, dispossessing the 2022 Champions League-winner.

“It was a good confidence boost,” the youngster humbly said. “I know when I go back and play for Crewe next season that I shouldn’t really be scared of any attacker I come up against because I’ve tackled Vinicius Jr.”

Unfortunately for Tom, his time on the pitch would come to an abrupt halt when the game was soon called off prematurely. That was down to a growing problem involving pitch invaders who sought to take pictures and have their shirts signed by the legends.

Still, it marked a profound learning experience for a youngster hoping to make it in the competitive English youth system.

He said: “Cafu is an idol of mine. I watched him running up and down from the bench. Whenever he got the ball he’d find little through-balls for the forwards.

“They were all ridiculously good technically. Every time they got the ball their touches were perfect and the pass was perfect. I didn’t really feel behind physically but technically they were super.”

His otherworldly experience was capped off by an opportunity to introduce himself to Cafu, chatting to Jay-Jay Okocha and even hanging out with Ronaldinho once all the other stars had gone home - the envy of arguably the entire nation of Brazil.

“We went to the Hard Rock café and Ronaldinho signed my shirt. He was super nice and let me take a picture with him. He also joined in with the foot-volleyball on the last day," he recalled.

Tom also explained how, aside from Ronaldinho, the rest of the players did not realise they were playing alongside a 14-year-old due to his height and ability. The talented teenager will hope that with effort and dedication, it will one day be him posing for photos with the younger generation.