Olsi Krasniqi admits his rise to stardom on the Super League scene has saved him from a life among the nation’s also-rans.

The 17-year-old Harlequins RL prop is a self-confessed former bad-boy, having endured a turbulent time at Feltham Community College.

But Krasniqi insists that all that is now firmly in his past.

He said: “In years seven and eight at college I was getting into quite a lot of trouble with the teachers.

“They didn’t like me and I was not getting on with them.

“The College was trying to establish itself as a bit of a centre for sports, so they offered me the chance to miss a few lessons here and there if I signed up with one of their teams.

“Quite a few of my friends were playing rugby at the time so I thought I would give that a go.

“Pretty quickly I realised I was quite good at it, and then Phil Jones (Harlequins Head of Youth Performance) saw me play and invited me along to the Academy.”

With his size and power, the Feltham born youngster was always likely to make an impact.

But even he was surprised by just how quickly he progressed, with Krasniqi making a try-scoring debut against the Crusaders and then appearing against the Leeds Rhinos last weekend.

He added: “It has all been quite surreal really.

“About a month ago I was playing for the under-20 side and Super League seemed a long way away.

“Then there were a couple of injuries and suddenly I was in the team.

“It was absolutely brilliant to score a try on my debut and to be honest I still cannot believe it has happened.

“All I can do is keep proving myself and enjoy it while it lasts.”

Krasniqi was born to Albanian parents, who unsurprisingly have taken an avid interest in their son’s progress.

And the Quins prop reveals his debut against the Welsh side provoked an outpouring of support.

Krasniqi added: “Both my parents came to the Crusaders game and it was a great feeling to know they were there.

“I have never seen my dad so emotional in his life as when I met up with him after the game and hopefully I will give them plenty more to shout about over the years.”