First Blood to Matthew in Rambo blockbuster

Actor Matthew Marsden speaks exclusively to

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Believe it or not, but Hollywood superstars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Ridley Scott all have West Bromwich Albion shirts hanging in their wardrobes.

The famous blue and white stripes were given out on the set of the 2001 blockbuster Black Hawk Down, by Black Country actor and Baggies superfan Matthew Marsden.

Now, the 34-year-old is starring alongside action icon Sylvester Stallone in the latest Rambo film, which has already grossed more than $40 million in the US and opened on these shores yesterday.

Speaking from his home in Los Angeles, Matthew today spoke exclusively to the Express & Star about his two passions in life: acting and football.

Marsden, who hails from Sandwell's Yew Tree estate, said: "Sly is amazing. He is a total workaholic, he wrote and directed the film and would have made the tea if he could.

"It was a great learning experience for me as he has been at the top of his game for so long - he was 110 per cent prepared and demanded nothing but excellence from us.

"We are all fans, especially guys my age, and I must admit I was a little star struck at first. He's such an intense individual but once you get over that he's a lovely guy. He is so down to earth and you could easily go down the pub with him."

The movie was shot over three months in Thailand, Mexico and America and Marsden stars as Sly's right-hand-man, Schoolboy. His character is one of a gang of mercenaries sent into war-torn Burma to rescue a group of Christian missionaries.

The father-of-two, who takes fourth billing in the film, had to undergo an intense training regime in preparation for the blockbuster.

He said: "I always keep myself ticking over fitness-wise, you have to over here in LA. I was the first actor to be cast for the film and Sly told me to build up my stamina and work on my forearms as I would be lugging a huge gun around. And he wasn't wrong, it was enormous and so heavy."

Aside from movie roles in Black Hawk Down, Resident Evil Extinction and DOA: Dead or Alive, the former Dartmouth High School pupil is best known as mechanic Chris Collins from Coronation Street.

But after a year-long stint on the show and a short-lived pop career, he moved to America to make it big.

But he still has close ties with the Black Country. His mum Ann lives in Walsall and he is an avid Baggies fan. He said: "I don't get to come home as much as I'd like, about twice a year. It's always lovely to come back home but I'm still the same person I always was, if it all ended tomorrow I would be happy working on the market in West Brom.

"Of course I'm still following Albion, in fact I bought the retro 1978 shirt the other day. I get up at the crack of dawn to listen to the matches on-line and I ring my great aunt every Saturday to chat with her about the games.

"I still enjoy the rivalry between Wolves and Albion, to be honest it's one of the things I miss about home because it's one of the things that makes the Black Country great. I've got to say though, even though I'm an Albion fan through and through, I think Steve Bull is a legend.

"I mean how many players would be so loyal to one club in the face of so much temptation from others? He is a true legend, just like Bomber Brown is for us. I think we should get a statue of Bomber at the Hawthorns or name a stand after him."

So what's next for the homegrown star?

"Now is a very important time for me. I want to make the right steps in my career and have actually just turned down a few things because they weren't the right move," he said.

"I've got a couple of things on the boil right now. I can't say too much but they're big projects. I never thought I would end up here. Growing up on the Yew Tree I had dreams of becoming an actor but when I used to say that people would just laugh at me. But my mum and my friends always believed in me though. I've had loads of knock backs, and especially after Corrie people seemed desperate for me to fail but you just have to get on with it. I've already achieved everything I ever wanted to, well apart from that Oscar.

"I'm very proud to be from the Midlands and I'd like to thank everybody back home for being so supportive of me."

Despite a hectic film career and two young sons to raise, there's another thing keeping Matthew busy at the moment.

"Don't even mention the FA Cup!" he said. "I'm wearing the same shirt now for every match because it's proved to be so lucky. Speaking of shirts, when I did Black Hawk Down I gave every member of the cast an Albion shirt and every now and then I'll see one of the actors walking down Hollywood Boulevard with a Baggies top on, which is quite surreal."