While Derby County’s youth-team have all been offered professional terms, they have shown that they aren’t afraid to go back to school during a recent visit to Wyndham Academy in Alvaston, Derby.
The youth-team went en-masse to participate in an assembly focussed on celebrating the success of the schools recent achievements.
The players – who explained the schools own motto “together we can” is something they try to replicate on the pitch – were split into small groups joining classes from Reception to Year 6 to take part in a Question and Answer session.
“It was a privilege to go to the school and see the faces of all the young children, I felt as though we had really made a difference to their day and it took me back to my own schooldays. It made me realise how lucky I have been,” said midfielder Ayrton Wassall.
“It was a nice change to our working day and made us think about other things apart from football,” added first-year Apprentice Farrend Rawson.
While the day afforded the young players mini celebrity status with the school children the impact of the visit was also felt by the school’s staff.
“The children felt proud that the lads had taken the time to research our school and acknowledge our motto of, ‘Together We Can’ and relate this to the life of the Derby County football team,” said Vice Principal of Wyndham Academy, Mrs. Paula Baines-Chambers
“The children, and staff, thoroughly enjoyed the time the Derby players spent in the classroom and the ‘good luck’ message recorded by the footballers provided inspiration for the Year 6 pupils who are currently taking their SATs.”
