Shanghai, July 22- Manchester United coaches and former team legends made a special appearance with a group of schoolchildren in Shanghai yesterday at an exclusive training session organized by adidas.

Taking part in the event were a total of 20 grades three to four students from Rihui Xincun Primary in Xuhui District, Shanghai. Led by internationally-acclaimed adidas youth football trainer, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) consultant and long-time adidas brand ambassador Tom Byer, Manchester United Soccer Schools coaches and Manchester United ambassadors Dwight Yorke and Denis Irwin, these children enjoyed an intensive training session.

As parents and teachers looked on, the children brushed up on basic skills in a series of mini lessons designed to help them improve their skills as well as become more confident and relaxed with the ball. After the training session, the children put what they had learnt into action going head-to-head for a brief friendly match.

The training session represents the latest in a series of recent, high-profile adidas events held nationwide to promote the brand’s ongoing grassroots football collaboration with MOE. Director of Physical, Health and Art Education for the Shanghai Education Commission Ding Li, deputy head of Shanghai Xuhui District People's Government Wang Hongzhou and officials from Xuhui District Education Bureau attended the activity.

“Shanghai is home to some of the most successful football teams and grassroots initiatives in China and is increasingly seen as a model city for the development of football nationwide,” Ding Li noted that events such as today’s star-studded training session provide an invaluable means for students to learn from and interact with some of the very best names in global football.

“We remain strongly committed to continuing to work closely with both the MOE as well as our vast portfolio of global sports assets to accelerate the pace of school football development nationwide,” said Colin Currie, Managing Director of adidas Group, Greater China, “and Shanghai remains at the forefront of our efforts to achieve this goal.”

Last year, adidas established a landmark three-year partnership with the MOE in a bid to accelerate the development of school football nationwide and inspire life-long physical activity and involvement in football from an early age.

In its first year, the program has already succeeded in reaching over 5,000 schools nationwide and trained more than 7,000 PE teachers. adidas has also supported over 600 kids in the MOE winter and summer training camps.