ENGLAND footballer Peter Crouch has been to London’s East End to kick-off a new football factory’ to give school-leavers without jobs in Britain’s most deprived borough a chance at getting into the game professionally

ENGLAND footballer Peter Crouch has been to London’s East End to kick-off a new football factory’ to give school-leavers without jobs in Britain’s most deprived borough a chance at getting into the game professionally.

He arrived at Limehouse youth centre on Monday for the launch of sports training and apprenticeships programme for kids outside education who don’t have jobs.

“Football teaches you to be disciplined and not lose your temper,” Crouch told the youngsters.

“Keep coming to initiatives like this and it will certainly help you.”

His visit came as the City Gateway charity, which runs the youth centre, got its new football factory’ project off the ground to help youngsters who are put off by traditional training schemes.

The charity’s Darren Wolf said: “Peter Crouch’s visit is a real inspiration for the youngsters we work with who have dropped out of traditional education and struggle to find jobs.”

Peter and his England team-mates donate their match fees and time to support projects like the football factory’ after setting up their own trust, the Team England Footballers’ Charity, which funds schemes improving opportunities for youngsters aged 12 to 21.

One-in-six school-leavers don’t have jobs yet, according to Government figures last week. The ratio is even worse in the East End with unemployment among school-leavers double the national average.