Former EFL footballer visits New Eltham primary school

Their side, representing Charlton Athletic, has reached the national final of the Utilita Kids Cup. On the 23rd May, ahead of the EFL Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Southampton, they will play Langho St Leonards Primary School, who are representing Blackburn Rovers, on the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium.

They had a surprise visit this week when former EFL striker, Glenn Murray, paid a visit to the New Eltham primary school. Best known for his spells with Crystal Palace, Brighton and Hove Albion, and AFC Bournemouth, Murray played at every level from Tier Six to the Premier League, and made an appearance at Wembley. He is also a pundit who has worked on TV and radio. He spoke with the Dulverton players, sharing advice on handling big-game pressure, and he played in a training game to help them to prepare for their big day.

Also playing in the match alongside Murray were social media freestyle football stars and Instagram influencers Ben Nuttall and Harriet Pavlou. Between the two of them, they boast 2.35m followers, and they’ll be sharing content featuring their time at the school on their platforms. The whole school was present to show their support the team.

German International Jamal Musiala, England’s Adam Wharton and Scotland’s Scott McTominay have all featured in the Utilita Kids Cup, which is one of the UK’s largest football competitions. More than twenty thousand year five and six players from over two thousand five hundred primary schools vie to represent EFL clubs each year. Alongside offering the dream of playing at Wembley, the competition aims to help young people stay active, build confidence and develop teamwork skills. The Utilita Kids Cup culminates in three finals across the Sky Bet EFL Play-Off weekend in May.

Regardless of the result, it will be a memorable day for the players from Dulverton School along with their families, school staff and other pupils of the school.