David Beckham showed up at Xuhui Middle School in Xuhui District on Monday afternoon to interact and communicate with young football followers.

Thirty-six teenagers were selected from across the district for a basic skills training session co-led by adidas youth coach Tom Byer, which aims at making the young players more confident and relaxed with the ball.

“As more and more Chinese schoolchildren discover football, I look forward to seeing China continue to work towards building a solid foundation that will enable it to take off on the world stage,” said the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who insisted that it was an iconic player’s responsibility to inspire and pass on the essence of his or her sport to the younger generation.

“The chance of children becoming professional athletes is higher now than at any time. Whether they want to become professional or not, the most important thing is to be happy and enjoy the sport,” the former England international added.

At the Chinese National Games in August, Shanghai swept to victory with four football titles, including three youth titles, strengthening its position at the forefront of China’s youth football development. China’s Ministry of Education also designated the city as one of 12 national experimental zones for school football. A total of 252 Shanghai schools have made football classes mandatory.

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