Alex McLeish provides pep talk at Southwark’s Street Soccer London

Former Scotland coach Alex McLeish surprised attendees at Street Soccer London to teach the young footballers a few tricks on the pitch.

Welcomed into the Street Soccer family for the afternoon, McLeish provided players with an inspirational pep talk and the chance to be mentored by a former national team and Premier League coach.

He imparted words of wisdom and coping mechanisms he uses to be a strong player in life, on and off the pitch, whether that be how to strike the perfect free-kick, or how he deals with the day-to-day challenges that life throws at him.

Street Soccer, based in Southwark, support individuals experiencing social isolation through education and the power of football. Weekly sessions and programmes, powered by the local community and bringing people together, are structured to give players access to free football as well as any off-the-pitch support they need. They aim to help those most in need of guidance, with many participants facing challenges such as homelessness, adverse mental health, long-term unemployment, addiction, and criminal justice.

McLeish said: “It’s been fantastic to come down to Street Soccer and surprise these inspiring young people who are so engaged in the programme.

“A cause like this is so important to communities in the UK and was something I couldn’t resist getting involved with. These players will be ones to watch in the future”.

Leading meat-free brand Quorn, the new partner of Street Soccer, was on hand at the training session to provide coaches with their brand-new kit and refuel players from the Quorn Food Truck after their efforts on the pitch.

Sam Blunt, Commercial Operations Director at Quorn, said: “We’re proud to partner with Street Soccer who do amazing work to support those at risk of social isolation, through the power of community football projects. We are supporting their programme by providing training kit for the coaches who dedicate their time to the local community, and we look forward to seeing this important charity continue to flourish across the UK.”

David Duke, CEO and founder of Street Soccer, said: “We’re on a mission to provide a community where it is needed and believe that bringing adults and young people together through football, gives them the best foundation for the future.

“The new kit partnership is great for our players and team as we strive to create positive change through football.”