Rishi Sunak visited a junior football club which aims to help youngsters of all abilities enjoy the sport.

The Richmond MP and Prime Minister joined members of the Richmond Rockets Junior Football Club on a Saturday matchday to meet the young players, their coaches and parents, and praised the club’s inclusive approach.

“It’s clear how much the youngsters enjoy the game and are encouraged by the coaches to have a go and to play for fun to the best of their ability," he said.

During his visit to the club’s Saturday session at Richmond School, Mr Sunak took part in a training session and led a Q&A session with some of the young players.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Rishi Sunak and the Richmond Rockets Meteors under ten team with coach Craig Bosomworth, back left,

Richmond Rockets was established in 2019 by Peter Bogojevic and his wife Mandy and now has six age-grade teams and a group of mini Rockets aged four to six.

Mandy, club secretary, said: “We are a small family-friendly club and our ethos is to appeal to players of all abilities. We think football at this age is all about encouraging love and enjoyment of the game.

“The children were thrilled to meet Mr Sunak, to play some football with him and have their pictures taken with him.”

Richmond Rockets Junior Football Club welcomes new players and can be contacted via its Facebook page.