Adam Johnson's England chances can only improve under Rob- erto Mancini - according to the scout who discovered the winger.

Peter Kirkley spotted the City new boy as a 12-year-old playing in a schools' match in his native North East, and recommended him to Middlesbrough.

Now aged 22, Johnson is settling in at Eastlands after making an £8.5m switch from Boro last Monday.

His team-mates have jokingly dubbed him the new Robinho - with Johnson aiming to be a bigger success at Eastlands than the £32.5m Brazilian.

And according to renowned scout Kirkley, the England Under-21 winger will thrive under his new manager's direction.

Kirkley, 67, said: "He's gone to a club with a manager who has a continental approach, and that will suit Adam.

"He's not a rough-and- tumble player. He's the sort who likes to pass the ball.

"I'm certain he will benefit from playing for someone with Roberto Mancini's vast experience.

"And he'll also benefit from the players around him. There's a saying that good players need good players. And Adam will be playing alongside some of the best at City.

"He's an exciting player. He's got pace down the wing but he can score goals too, which is unusual in a winger.

"Adam is also a very hard worker. That's a quality he's always had. And he's a brilliant kid."

Kirkley knows a thing or two about spotting young talent, thanks to a 35-year association with Wallsend Boys Club, which has produced a host of stars, including Alan Shearer, Steve Bruce, Michael Carrick, Lee Clark and Peter Beardsley.

But he was scouting for Middlesbrough when he noticed a slightly-built young lad tearing down the wing and delivering a stream of dangerous crosses.

"I didn't know anything about him," Kirkley recalled. "I'd never seen him before or heard anything about him. I was just out scouting and there he was.

"He was playing in a local league, and his skill stood out immediately. He had a great left foot and he could go past people.

"So we took him in at Boro's centre of excellence for a while, and when the Academy system was set up, the club kept him on.

"But we weren't convinced he would be big enough to cope with professional football.

"He had to work very hard because he was the smallest and the slightest in the group.

"But we looked at his father, who's not a small fellow, and we were fairly confident he would grow as he got older.

"When I look at a player, the most important thing is attitude. Adam had a great attitude and his parents were always supportive. They were there all the time.

"He never missed a training session - it was obvious he loved his football."

Johnson's football talent was obvious from a young age to those who taught him at Easington Community Science College in east Durham.

Fred McNay, the school's head of PE, remembers a shy young boy with a quiet determination to crack the big time.

McNay said: "He was determined to make the grade and very focused on improving.

"We are very pleased for him at the school. Manchester City look like they have a good future ahead of them.

"Although he has gone for big money, Adam will realise the work as a player has to go on.

"But I imagine he still has the drive and determination to succeed and go on to even better things."

Not everybody, though, spotted Johnson's ability early as both Sunderland and Newcastle allowed him to slip through their fingers.

Johnson's father Dave remembers how the Black Cats failed to pick up on the Sunderland-born youngster as he honed his skills at a club-run children's football scheme.

Dave said: "He regularly went on a football scheme run by the club at Sunderland Leisure Centre. He would have been about five or six at the time.

"He came away with all the certificates, but they never picked up on him."

Neither did Newcastle when he trained at their School of Excellence between the ages of eight and 10 - and so it was Boro who were able to snap him up.

But even though the Toon and the Black Cats didn't spot Johnson, his ability did catch the eye of two former England captains before he'd even left primary school.

Johnson's mum Sonia tells the story of how the late Emlyn Hughes and Johnny Haynes noted his skill on the ball.

"We were on holiday at Butlins and Adam entered a football skills competition," Sonia explained.

"He ended up winning it and he met Emlyn Hughes, who was lovely with the kids.

"Emlyn said to him: `Your left foot is great.' It was wonderful that he singled him out."

Haynes was just as impressed when he saw Johnson play in 1998.

Sonia added: "Peterlee and District Schools played at Wembley in a seven-a-side tournament sponsored by Adidas.

"Adam's team and three others from around the country won through to Wembley.

"The finals were played on the same day as England Under-16 schoolboys were playing Brazil.

"They played the match on the Wembley turf and I do remember Adam scoring twice.

"Johnny Haynes was the guest of honour and he said to Adam: `You're a great little player. You've got a lovely left foot.' I'll always remember what he said."