YOUNG footballers from a Darwen school have returned from a successful tour of Greece.

Darwen Academy’s football academy sent a squad of 13 to southern Europe for training and team bonding.

And the side, which is linked with Chorley FC, won every match on the tour and came out top in the Athens Tournament.

DACA principal Brendan Loughran organised the event in conjunction with Stuart Smith, headteacher at St Catherine’s British School in Athens, with whom he worked at Haslingden High School.

Mr Loughran said: “Stuart was the deputy head at Haslingden when I worked there and I have kept in touch with him.

“Through that link we discussed setting up the opportunity for our boys to have pre-season training over there.

“They have got state-of-the-art facilities so it seemed a great chance for us, and Stuart was agreeable to it.”

The squad was taken to Greece by PE teachers Chris Worthington and Alan Sayle, who run the football academy.

Mr Loughran said: “They won all their games and also took in some cultural visits as well, such as the Acropolis.

“We want our football academy to be run as professionally as possible, and for them to go out like this has demonstrated our professional approach.

“It gives them a chance to form great bonds and also improves their skills, knowledge and attitude.

“There was a strong educational aspect to the trip, which is very important, and the boys were ambassadors for the academy and for Chorley FC while they were out there.”

The players, who spent a week in Greece, beat local side FC Haladri 2-1 in their first match last week.

Haladri play in the same under- 18s league as Greek giants Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.

And in the Athens Tournament, hosted by St Catherine’s British School, DACA beat the hosts, Campion School, 1-0 and ACS Athens (American school) 2-1 in the final.

The youngsters were back in school yesterday after touching down on home soil on Sunday evening.