WALSHAW Park youngsters were given a training session they will never forget after coaches from Manchester United Academy visited Clarence Park to put them through their paces.

The day-long football camp followed a chance meeting Walshaw Park's chairman Jason Cotterill and Andy Basterfield, who runs United's Football in the Community Project.

"Football is certainly unpredictable and sometimes amazing opportunities just fall straight in your lap," said Cotterill, who also coaches at Walshaw Park.

"While our under-11s team was playing at the Hollingworth Juniors summer tournament I bumped into Andy Basterfield, who runs Manchester United's Football in the Community project.

"He offered us the option of Manchester United coming to Clarence Park to run a full day's football summer camp – I took about a second to say yes.

"The summer camps usually take place at The Cliff, Manchester United's training ground, but it is under refurbishment.

"So Andy and four Manchester United Academy team coaches put on what was a fabulous day for our under-13s' Wasps and under-11s' juniors team."

If the Walshaw Park juniors were expecting a fun day out, Cotterill explains they were very quickly set straight by the United coaches.

But he says his young players revelled in what he described as a serious workout.

"Andy told the players from the outset that they would be treated and trained as if they were Manchester United Academy players and he wasn't kidding as they were pushed hard, but I have never seen them smile so much.

"The day ran from 10am to 3pm with a mixture of fitness and small game routines, with the focus on control and team play and the players for me performed fantastic with what were very high standards set by Manchester United.

"Although the players were set tough challenges to compete at a high level, there was always an element of fun to encourage them to push through.

"The Manchester United team were amazing and a credit to the programme run by Andy and we feel very privileged to have hosted this event.

"It's just nice to know that a grassroots football club like Walshaw Park can be involved, if just for a day, with one of the game's giants like Manchester United. 

"As the chairman and a manager, its days like this you dream of when you can bring a little bit of magic to the boys and girls that work very hard at what they love to do, which is playing football.

"In our minds it will be cheekily remembered as Walshaw Park v Man Utd."