For just over a year now Leeds United have had a permanent training base in Zhongshan, China.

Working with the clubs official Chinese youth development partner, Lourdes Sport Development, the club has placed coaches in the region to work with Peihong Primary School.

Demonstrated by its recent success, the aim of the initiative is to help develop football skills and inspire the futures of young Chinese players.

Approaching the end of the school year, Peihong Primary took part in the annual Zhongshan Region Football Tournament in which the school finished in fourth place out of 32 teams, an illustrious finish for a school which represents a small area of the Zhongshan region.

Arran Horton, who is the club's head of football development in China, has worked with the School this past year and commented: “It’s been a pleasure working with the players of Peihong Primary School.

“They have engaged with the values of the Club and are proud to be associated with Leeds United.

It’s a huge compliment to them to then demonstrate their talents in this prestigious competition.”

The team was further inspired by three players who have just returned from taking part in two weeks of elite training with the Leeds United Academy and Foundation. 



Their impact in the tournament was impressive, bringing new experiences from training at Thorp Arch and with Leeds United Academy coaches to help inspire and encourage their school team to reach success. 

Due a special mention is Tom Wu Jia Long, who finished as the tournament's leading goal scorer.

Chris Chan, the CEO for Lourdes Sport Development, is proud of the links that have been made in developing football in China by working alongside the club.

He noted:  “We have seen huge improvement in the School's football development this past year and we are extremely grateful for the support of  Leeds United and the coaches who have helped us improve.

“We now have a clear playing style and have embraced the Leeds values on and off the pitch.

“This is only the start of our programme and we are looking forward to building on this to help all players have new opportunities.”