EXCLUSIVE: Be our Pea! England want to snap up Mexican wonderkid



By Simon Jones for the Daily Mail

England coaches are on the trail of a Mexican striker they hope will become the nation's Javier Hernandez.



Chester-born Antonio Michael Pedroza Whitham, who plays in the Mexican Premier League for Jaguares de Chiapas, has been monitored by FA scouts over recent months as they plan for this summer's Under 20 World Cup in Colombia.



Little plea: Pedroza (centre) wants to step up

And the 20-year-old, who has been likened to Manchester United's Chicharito - Spanish for 'Little Pea' - because of his height, quicksilver feet and ability in the air, has admitted that he would 'accept the opportunity to play for England' should a call-up to the Mexico national team fail to materialise.



FA officials were alerted to the fact that Pedroza qualifies for England through his mother and place of birth.



Prospect: England could turn to Pedroza (right)

Pedroza said: 'My dad is Mexican, my mother, English. I was born in England, but I came to Mexico when I was a boy. I feel very Mexican.



'I would be happy for this opportunity, I would have never expected to be considered to represent England's Under 20s. I love Mexico for the time I have spent here, but if I don't have an opportunity to represent Mexico I would accept the opportunity to play for England.'

The livewire forward - nicknamed 'Rooney' by his team-mates because of his English roots - could even line up against England this summer as Mexico are in the same group as Brian Eastick's Under 20 squad.



He has had trial spells with Chelsea and Arsenal but is now attracting interest from Fulham. Roma are also reported to be keen. Pedroza did his prospects of a move no harm with an Hernandez-esque goal last week in the Copa Libertadores quarter-final first leg against Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.



Jaguares were trailing 1-0 in stoppage time when Pedroza, on as a substitute, leapt high at the near post to power a header into the far corner.



Pedroza's mother and sister still live in Chester but the move to Chiapas, southern Mexico, came via Miguel Auza - a central Mexican mining town where he moved with his father as a two-year-old.



It was there that he was guided towards football by his uncle Oscar Fernando 'El Rambo' Torres - a former professional himself.



Pedroza scored his first two Copa Libertadores goals in January against Alianza Lima and boldly declared: 'These goals have given me encouragement to pursue a dream, to play for the national team or play in Europe.' Now that dream is looking more like a reality.



