Former sprinter and Priory Community School student Taryn Selway-Joseph has switched his focus to football.

ONE of Britain’s fastest teens is giving up his Olympic dreams to follow in the footsteps of Walcott, Bale and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Priory Community School student Taryn Selway-Joseph, aged 14, ran the fastest 100m in England in his under-13 age group two years ago at 12.02 seconds - in his first-ever proper race wearing spikes.

That first race put him 15th fastest of all time in the country at that age group.

But now the Year 9 Academy Trust student has switched his focus to football.

He is now playing at high-achieving Southampton’s Development Centre, which has been a conveyor belt of talent in recent years producing players including Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

In his latest match for Southampton against Bristol Rovers, Taryn scored a perfect hat-trick - one with his left foot, one with his right, and a header.

The ambitious 14-year-old Arsenal fan, a former Weston Crusaders youngster, is also a relative of former top-flight footballer Louie Donowa.

Taryn said: “Priory is helping me to make sure I get my GCSEs at good grades, but I also want to be a premiership footballer. I will still do some athletics this year, but my ambition is football.”

Ex-England rugby international Nigel Redman and current Ulster rugby prop Jake Caulfield are former students at Priory Community School.

PCSA is academically one of the best in the UK, but also outstanding at sports, performing arts and other areas at developing well-rounded school leavers. It has about 70 Period 6 activities, mainly after school to develop students.