Learning how to dance like a proper Northern Soulboy has been the biggest challenge yet for Martin Compston.

But now the Greenock-born actor can drop and spin with the best of them, it’s another string he can add to his bow.

It is almost a decade since Martin quit professional football to appear as a teenage heroin dealer in Ken Loach’s gritty, coming of age movie, Sweet Sixteen.

He is now appearing in SoulBoy as 17-year-old Joe McCain, a restless 1970s teenager bored with his nine-to-five job, who finally finds somewhere he belongs – in the Northern Soul scene.

“It’s a departure for me,” says Martin who used to play football for Greenock Morton FC.

“I think when people come to see me in a film they expect to see something really intense and they’re just waiting for someone to get stabbed or murdered but this is really different.”

Joe is joined by Mandy, played by Felicity Jones, who launched her career in the Radio Four series The Archers.

Mandy is eager to help Joe become the cool soulboy he so desperately wants to be.

Complications arise when Joe meets blonde and brassy hairdresser Jane, played by Donkey Punch actress Nichola Burley, who is the queen of the club scene.

Before he knows it Joe is caught up in a love triangle and is swept into a world of music and all-night-dancing at the Wigan Casino, the home of Northern Soul.

It’s a world apart from the roles Martin has nailed in the past, which include playing a kidnapper in the recent British film, The Disappearance of Alice Creed and a tortured soul in Andrea Arnold’s critically acclaimed Glasgow-set film, Red Road.

He says: “It’s for people who want to go to the cinema and really enjoy a film and have a good time. It’s the closest thing folk are ever going to get to seeing me in a musical.”

Music is certainly a big part of the film. The Northern Soul scene emerged in the North of England in the late 1960s.

It soon became a phenomenon, with night clubs up and down the country blasting out obscure American soul 45s for young people to dance to.

“It was really good doing SoulBoy,” says Martin.

“I think it’s a one of a kind, there aren’t a lot of films like this out there.

“I wasn’t really into the music before I did the film but I love it now.

“The music really carries the film although I hope people like the performances too.”

The coming-of-age drama is directed by multi-award winning filmmaker Shimmy Marcus and features a host of stars.

Alfie Allen, brother of Lily, plays Joe’s clumsy mate Russ and Fun Lovin Criminals’ lead singer Huey Morgan takes a turn as a record shop owner called Dee Dee.

“The cast were great,” says Martin. “Everyone got on well. The budget we had was quite ambitious and everyone knew that so we just worked really hard.”

Part of that hard work involved Martin having to learn how to dance, spin and drop like a proper soulboy.

“It was a challenge with all the dancing and trying to get my accent right,” says the 25-year-old actor.

“I couldn’t dance before the film and then I actually got really good at it.”

“It’s something you have to keep at, you can’t just pick it up and drop it though,” he adds.

“I would like to keep it up. I can’t believe I was getting paid to dance, it’s just brilliant.”

Martin has recently been holed up in his parent’s home in Greenock after having minor ear surgery following a stunt gone wrong.

He injured his ear and broke a rib earlier this year during the filming of another Brit flick, Ghost.

“I had to take a break from acting to get better,” he says.

“It’s the longest I’ve spent in one place since I was 17.”

The actor admits he’s a bit of a “nomad”, living between his girlfriend Stacey’s home in Spain, and staying with friends all over the world.

“Moving around is a by product of being on the road,” he says.

“Greenock’s where all my friends are so I always come back, although I have met some good friends acting.”

The actor seems like he is genuinely having a great time but does he have any regrets about quitting football?

“I wanted to keep playing but acting came along so I just went for that,” he says.

“But I’m glad I went for it. If I was good enough to play for Celtic then it would have been a different story.”

• SoulBoy will be at Glasgow Film Theatre in October. See www.gft.org.uk for details.