BARACK OBAMA – or Bob the Builder – might have immortalised the ultra- positive “Yes, we can” rally cry, but Kevin Sampson has been embodying it for most of his life.

The Merseyside author has spent 11 years trying to get his cult novel Awaydays turned into a film, with enough setbacks to make lesser men burn the script and slink away.

At one point during the process he gave himself an electric shock in a gardening accident, a near- death experience leading to reconstructive surgery and months of painful physiotherapy.

But, as every door slammed shut in his face – the script wasn’t right, disinterested film financiers, disappearing producers – he clung onto his dream like a stranded hiker gripping a blanket on Everest.

Now, “Yes We Can” is “Yes We Did” and Kevin, along with boyhood pal and co-producer Dave Hughes, is excitedly waiting for tomorrow’s world premiere of the film at the Philharmonic Hall.

To reach this point, the pair set up their own production company, Red Union, and craftily raised the entire £500,000 budget using the government's EIS scheme, which gives private investors tax breaks.

Dave, from Birkenhead, is a former member of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark who went on to a successful career in writing music for films including the best-selling Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels soundtrack.

Their friendship dates back to growing up in recession-hit early Thatcher’s Britain, and time spent religiously following Liverpool (Kevin) and Tranmere (Dave).