FOOTBALLING stars of the future got the chance to learn from the best as they enjoyed a session with coaches from Tottenham Hotspur.

Paxman Academy in Colchester welcomed four community coaches from the Premier League club to run football sessions for Year 7 and Year 8 students on the last full day of term yesterday.

It continues the strong links between Spurs and the school which were established when the London club reached the final of the League Cup earlier this year.

With Tottenham playing Colchester United in a friendly match at the Colchester Community Stadium tomorrow, the Premier League outfit offered sessions for two year groups at Paxman Academy in the run-up to the fixture.

Gazette: Coaches kept a keen eye on the pupils (1)

Much of the work put in to linking Paxman Academy and Spurs is down to maths teacher and head of Year 7, Drew Nash.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to have Spurs involved,” Mr Nash said.

Gazette: Both boys and girls received training sessions from the Spurs staff

“We’ve got coaches down today who will be working with young people the same age our Year 7s and Year 8s who are part of the elite academy programme at the club.

“The quality of coaching the pupils are receiving today will be received by players in the Spurs academy who will go on to become the next Harry Kane or Son Heung-Min.”

Gazette: A Tottenham Community Coach talks the pupils through the session

The four community coaches from Spurs – Ryan Blackman, Josh Willer, Aaron Baker and Jake Hughes – put the Years 7s and 8s through their paces on the school playing fields with a variety of drills and technical work.

Mr Nash added the sessions on offer were part of Paxman Academy’s broader aim of offering its students as many opportunities as possible, both inside and outside the classroom.

Gazette: The girls gather for a photograph post-session

He said: “We know it’s our job as a school to give them as many experiences and as many fantastic opportunities as we can because we know their career with us ends at 16.

“We want to give our students as many rich experiences as possible. We know that we want them to aspire to go on and do their very best throughout school and their adult life.”

He added: “It’s not just about the classroom experiences. If we provide all these opportunities, it then filters back into the classroom as children will be thinking ‘I’d quite like to do that – that’s something I’m interested in’.”

Gazette: A Spurs coach watches the girls go through a training drill

Mr Nash, who also happens to be a Spurs fan, was delighted with the efforts the community coaches put in for the pupils – who were equally pleased to be missing a maths lesson.

“They know the positive impact that they have and they want to be out in the community,” he said.

“And the fact they’ve sent down four young highly-qualified coaches to work with our students of all abilities is superb.”