On Thursday 27th Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of Brazil’s 1970 World-cup winning side came and watched some very young stars in action when he visited a SOCATOTS session in Leeds. Carlos felt very at home as he watched the tots aged from 6 months to 5 years practicing in the Brazilian colours of yellow and green. So at home in fact that Carlos insisted on balancing beanbags on his head, dribbling balls and cooling down with a parachute.

After the session Carlos Alberto had this to say: ‘ I could not believe my eyes when I saw these little tots who only came up to my knee dribbling the ball around the room and kicking skittles over using different parts of both feet. This programme is amazing and not at all what I expected these children are actually developing mentally as well as physically it is fantastic. I think we will see some of these young children lifting the World Cup one day.’

Simon Clifford founder of SOCATOTS and the Brazilian Soccer Schools said: ‘SOCATOTS is about much more than teaching young children to play football. It is about developing their literacy and numeracy as well as improving their motor skills of balance and co-ordination, and what better way to do this than via the nation’s favourite sport football. Despite this we have many three 2 and 3 year olds who can kick with their left and right foot and who know that there are different parts of the foot that they should be kicking with.’