American Football player Riley Watt has received Great Britain recognition – a matter of months after taking up the sport.

Watt, from Maidstone, has been called into the GB under-17 squad, following trials, and last weekend attended his first training session.

He’s made rapid progress given he only started full-contact American Football with the South East Legion last September and hasn’t played a competitive game.

Before that, his only experience was a few months playing the non-contact flag format with Kent Phoenix.

Watt, who’s just turned 16, credits coaches Lee Parsons and Ray Allen for his success.

“It’s more down to my coaches because I’d never played the sport and didn’t know much about it, so I didn’t know what position I would play,” said Watt, who is the son of ex-Maidstone United football captain Steve Watt.

“They instantly saw me and knew what to do with me.

“I play offensive line, so left guard or left tackle, and, basically, my job is to protect the main player which is quarterback.

“I think my coaches recognised, bearing in mind I’d only just started, that I was going to be all right. My size helps as well because I’m quite tall and big-built.

“After a couple of months, the GB trials were announced.

“I thought it would be too soon to try something like that but then my coach, Lee, recommended it to my mum, so that’s when I decided to go.”

Training alongside the likes of Adam Parsons and Sam Appleby, who have already played for GB, helped Watt prepare for the trials.

He travelled to Bristol with his parents last month and within days received the good news that he’d made the squad.

“I was calm leading up to the trials but on the day, when I saw everyone waiting to get checked in, that’s when the nerves started to build,” said Watt.

“The trial was on the Saturday and we found out on the Thursday night I was in.

“I was really happy. I’ve just got to keep working to get in the travelling squad. That’s the next goal.”

Dad Steve, a big American Football fan, has taken Riley to watch NFL matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The former Stones skipper is thrilled to see his son earn Great Britain selection.

He said: “It was a proud-dad moment watching him there competing, let alone getting the email saying he’d got in.

“We couldn’t be more proud of him.

“There were some big boys at the trials.

“I said to Riley you’ll know in the first few seconds if you’re going to like it because it’ll be the hardest you’ve ever been hit, and often, and you could see he loved it.”