Royal Navy football coaches have been given top tips by England U21 manager Stuart Pearce.Pearce and his assistant Steve Wigley coached 20 members of the RNFA Coaches Association at HMS Temeraire – the headquarters of Navy sport.

Players used during the two-hour training session were the RN’s U19 side which today (Wed) jets off to the United States to compete in the Dallas International Cup.Pearce said he was impressed with the attitude of the Navy’s youngsters. “They worked hard for each other and put in a lot of effort. I wish them well for their exciting tournament in the United States.”

Steve Johnson, football development officer at the RNFA, said: “Our coaches were delighted at getting such expert tuition as part of their professional development. And it will give a huge boost to our under 19 team before they head for Dallas where they will be up against 15 other teams from across the world.”

After the training session Pearce and Wigley unwound with a trip on board Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory at the nearby Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

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