HAD things turned out differently, Workington forward Liam McAvoy might have been running out for the Bulls this weekend. Or Leeds Rhinos.

The 21-year-old spent over two years at Odsal and then a season at Headingley before moving back to his native Cumbria at the end of the 2013 campaign.

He was regarded highly as a junior and represented the England academy side with John Bateman on a tour of Australia in 2012.

The former Broughton Red Rose amateur never played first-team rugby for Bradford or Leeds, but has not ruled out a return to Super League one day.

McAvoy said: “I was at Whitehaven on a scholarship and played against teams such as Wigan and Salford.

“Paul Medley came to watch me and I went to look around Bradford as a 16-year-old and I signed a contract.

“I learnt a lot during my time at Bradford, not only about professional rugby league but about myself.”

McAvoy combined his playing commitments with his academic studies at Tong High School.

He said: “I did a two-year BTEC in sport, so if I had a couple of hours free, I would go and train with the Bulls’ first team.

“That was ideal. I lived with James Donaldson and he took me under his wing.

“I struggled at first but Donno helped me a lot and showed me how to look after myself.”

The crisis-torn 2012 campaign ultimately took its toll and led to McAvoy jumping ship for Leeds.

He explained: “I got offered a contract before Bradford went into administration but I didn’t want to sign it until everything got sorted out with the club.

“By the time it got sorted, I’d just had a shoulder operation and they were cutting back financially, so there was no contract for me.

“I was in trouble then because I was expecting to sign something.

“But I had the chance to sign for Leeds before I went to Bradford and I knew Barrie McDermott, who asked me to join the Leeds academy.

“We got to the Grand Final and I was playing with lads such as Vila Halafihi, Jordan Baldwinson, Liam Sutcliffe and Mason Tonks.

“I was training full-time that year and got offered another contract at the end of 2013.

“But I didn’t want to spend two years there on the terms they offered without really making it into the first team and then not having anything as a back-up. It was difficult to turn it down because I loved it there and they really looked after me.

“I might have got a chance in the first team but I knew it was the right decision to move home because I didn’t want to leave myself with nothing.”

McAvoy headed back to Maryport to live with his step-dad after securing an engineering apprenticeship and joining Workington, the club he grew up supporting.

He said: “I’m doing design engineering, which is a three-year course, and I’ve got an apprenticeship alongside that at a design company.

“I’m working in the offices and going to college as well as training in the evening with Workington, which is just five minutes down the road.

“Everything just fits in nicely for me. I do think ‘what if?’ but I know that once I finish my apprenticeship, if the opportunity arose again, I would definitely consider going back to Super League.”

McAvoy came off the bench last week and should be involved again tomorrow.

He added: “There have been a lot of changes at Bradford and, even though they have been relegated, I’ve heard it has improved a hell of a lot since I was there.

“Jimmy Lowes was at Leeds when I was there and is obviously very switched on.”