WITH his chiselled jaw, distinguished cheekbones and deep-set eyes, you could think you were starring at the real Paolo di Canio – if it wasn’t for the fact his head is 20cms high and made of plaster.

Dennis Chandler, 80, of Ferndale, started moulding a replica of the Swindon Town manager’s head after the team won a place at Wembley in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final.

And now the creation is finished the grandfather, who moulds the busts as a hobby, is hoping to hand it to Paolo in person.

Dennis said: “It took a while. My grandson, Teddy, had been saying ‘do the manager’ and I said now he’s become famous I don’t mind.

“I only do it here and there. I started it when I first heard they were going to Wembley.”

The retired Rover worker, who was at Swindon’s match at Wembley on Sunday, made the bust by looking at photographs of Paolo.

He moulded his head in plasticine first and then cast it with polymer plastic.

“Only the family have seen it before now, they were impressed,” he said.

“His nose was tricky but I did my best. What I do love is when you get the likeness.

“When you do modelling it’s people’s eyes that give them features and of course you can’t really do it in this solid form. Painters can do it though.”

Paolo is the latest of dozens of busts that Dennis has made, including Walt Disney – which he made when the town was twinned with Disneyworld – Diana Dors, Julian Clary, Richard Jefferies, Winston Churchill, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.

His replica of comedian Clary was presented to the star on the stage of Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre.

And in 2007, Dennis presented the Adver with a bust of the paper’s founder, William Morris.

“I am hoping to give this one to Paolo. I don’t keep them myself, I always give them away to people. It’s a hobby,” said Dennis.

“I have done my partner, Eileen, she’s on the mantelpiece. I have done myself as well.

“If I have got a spare hour in the evening I will do it.”

Dennis started teaching himself to make the busts more than 40 years ago.

“I had a bit of spare time in the evenings and I thought ‘I’ll use it’. I’m not a great television person, to do something else is more interesting,” he said.

“I’m self-taught, you just pick it up as you go along.”