Pupils from Berrygrove Primary and Nursery School will represent Watford next week as they compete in the regional finals of the nPower Kids Cup.

The Garston school’s six-a-side team will travel to Reading on Monday to take on representative sides from across the south, including Southampton and West Ham, in their bid to make the Wembley final.

The squad of eight consists of three boys in Year Five, with the remainder coming from Year Six at the school.

Coached by the school’s Year Six teacher, Liam Wanless, the boys qualified for this stage of the competition after winning a regional tournament at the end of last year.

Wanless has been very impressed with his squad and believes they have just as good a chance of progressing as the other competing schools.

“It is a big achievement for them and they are really excited,” he enthused. “They have done really well this season.”

He added: “After seeing them in the Hertfordshire competition, I think the six-a-side game on Astroturf suits them more.

“I think we have got just as good a chance as the others, although I don’t know how good the other schools are.”

Watford Community Football Trust have provided the school with Watford kits to wear as they look to secure a dream date at Wembley, with the finals being played at the same time as the Football League play-offs.

Wanless wanted to wish his squad good luck ahead of the competition, and added how impressive they were at the Hertfordshire stage last year.

“They won all of their games in the league and then they won the semi-final and the final. In the league stage, they were dominant,” he continued.

“I am very proud. It is always nice and it is my first tournament as well. I couldn’t really have dreamt it.

“It does show that they have come a long way in terms of finding space, passing and motivating each other.”