Blackburn have beaten off interest from Chelsea to sign highly-rated 15-year-old Irish centre-back Gavin Gunning.

The Republic of Ireland Under-15 international, who moves from Irish side Crumlin United, has been compared to the former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams.

John Stokes, the Irish representative for the Stellar Group, who advise Gunning, said: "He has worked very hard to get to this stage and was being watched regularly by several clubs from England."