Leeds United stars Joel Piroe and Lucas Perri recently made a special appearance during one of the Leeds United Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars World Book Day workshops at Elland Road.

The young students in attendance at the event were all from local partner schools, invited to take part in various educational sessions delivered by coaches from the club’s official charity.

Divided into two groups on arrival, the first set of youngsters made their way to the Media Suite to learn about match reporting, watching highlights from a first-team game and a Leeds United Women's game, before applying what they had learnt to write their own reports.

The other group of children were hosted in the LUTV studio where they took part in various commentary tasks, assisted by Club Ambassador and LUTV commentator Bridie Hannon.

Once the two groups had explored both workshops, they embarked on an exclusive stadium tour, before being greeted by two special guests in the form of striker Joel Piroe and goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

The first-team duo surprised the children back in the Media Suite ahead of their lunch break, arriving to a chorus of excitement. The two players then hosted a Q&A with the kids before providing advice and feedback as a handful of brave volunteers demonstrated their newly learnt commentary and match reporting skills.

After the session, Piroe said: “Today we spent the day with the kids who have been learning about commentary and writing match reports, and it was great to hear them speak about independent moments of the game.

“You could see the joy on the faces of all the kids that were here today; they come in with such energy, and you can see how happy you make them as well. The interaction was really nice, they were open, they asked us plenty of questions and it’s just nice to see them happy as well.”

Perri added: “It was a really nice experience today. It’s always important to be close with the young supporters for the club and for the kids to have inspirations. So, it was good to spend time with them today."

Tara Nolan, the Foundation's Head of Primary Stars, also said: "We were delighted to welcome Lucas Perri and Joel Piroe to help launch our World Book Day celebrations. They joined pupils from Hugh Gaitskell Primary School for an exciting morning of match report writing and live‑commentary workshops delivered by our Premier League Primary Stars team.

"We were also joined by Leeds United ambassador Bridie Hannon, who drew on her co‑commentary background and LUTV experience to inspire the pupils. She shared her insights, taught key broadcasting skills, and helped the children build the confidence they needed before heading into the studio to present.

"Having first‑team players attend sessions like this is always special. Their presence creates moments the children will remember for a very long time, moments that spark ambition, inspire creativity, and encourage them to believe in their own potential."

World Book Day takes place on Thursday 5th March, and the annual event is a true celebration of books and the joy of reading and writing, engaging young people in the fun of literacy because it can seriously improve their lives.

For further information on the Premier League Primary Stars programme, please contact [email protected]