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THE club with the Premier League's most successful Academy showed how they are developing football skills in children as young as three when Afonso Alves and David Wheater paid a visit.

Redcar-born England U21 defender Wheater, one of the biggest successes of an Academy that has produced more than 25 first team players, joined Brazilian Alves to help children improve their football skills at MFC in the Community at Eston in Middlesbrough.

As part of the Premier League Creating Chances community initiative, Wheater and Alves took part in a Micro Soccer "It's a Knockout" challenge which aims to improve movement skills in a fun environment.

Activities included a 'speed cage' to measure the power of the youngsters' shooting, shuttle kicking, a penalty shoot-out and relays.

Micro Soccer is aimed at three-to-five year olds and teaches them football fundamentals under the guidance of qualified FA coaches.

These sessions are designed to encourage youngsters to get involved in sport at an early age and not only help to make them better players, but also increase their social skills.

Project worker Andy Watts says: "Micro Soccor is a ground-breaking initiative that gives kids the chance to interact with youngsters who share the same interests.

"It also builds their confidence in a fun and safe environment. This course develops the potential that every young child has."

The visit is part of the Premier League's Creating Chances initiative designed to showcase the vast amount of work that Boro and the other 19 Barclays Premier League clubs do in their local communities.

Over the next three months, Boro players will make further Creating Chances community appearances in support of Middlesbrough's Multiple Sclerosis Centre and MFC in the Community's Enterprise Academy and Entry to Employment schemes.

Through Creating Chances, Boro also chose to donate £4,000 to each of Community Integrated Care in Billingham, the Multiple Sclerosis Centre, the local branches of Samaritans and Guide Dogs for the Blind, plus Teesside charities, the Breakaway Children's Fund and the George Hardwick Foundation.