YOUNGSTERS were treated to a kickabout with former England star Gary Neville — as he opened their new state-of-the-art £1 million pavilion for a Horwich community football club on Friday.

Horwich St Mary FC welcomed the ex Manchester United star to their new clubhouse, which has been revamped thanks to a grant from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund.

Mr Neville, who is an ambassador for the Football Foundation, first visited the site in 2011 when the club’s players had to get changed in rusty shipping containers.

Three years on, the team boasts a modern changing pavilion with four changing rooms, two official rooms, a multi-function suite, kitchen and toilets, as well as revamped pitches.

More than £730,000 of funding came from the Football Foundation, £50,000 from Sport England while the fundraising efforts of the Horwich St Mary’s Trust over the past six years added another £190,000.

Mr Neville said: “The new clubhouse at Scholes Bank is fantastic — a stunning improvement on the rusty shipping containers I saw here when I visited this site a few years ago.

“This facility will lead to more local youngsters taking up the sport, and it will be a venue for new coaches to become qualified.

“A healthy grassroots game is essential for the health of the game at every level and the Football Foundation is expert at targeting this investment into areas where it will have the biggest impact.

“Everyone who has contributed to this project, and especially the volunteers at Horwich St Mary’s, have achieved something really special for the community and for the game as a whole.”

Funding also came from author Rick Banks, who donated the entire £22,400 profits from the sales of his book Football Type, while former Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Davies gave £20,000 through his charity Kids of Bolton.

Horwich St Mary's is now set to increase the number of its teams from 32 to 37, meaning more than 500 people could be playing with the team over the next five years.

Club secretary of Horwich St Mary’s Lesley Allon thanked Mr Neville for officially opening the new pavilion.

She added: “Without the years of hard work from those at the club and funding from the Premier League &and the FA Facilities Fund, our vision and hopes for Horwich St Mary’s could not have been realised, so we are all extremely thankful for all those who have contributed to this great effort.”

Ms Hilling, MP for Bolton West, joined Mr Neville at the opening and welcomed the "wonderful new facility" in her constituency.

She said: “The fantastic partnerships including local residents, parents and national organisations should be very proud of this great achievement, which they have created together.

“Lesley Allon has done a brilliant job for the football club and I think she should be rewarded for all her hard work.

“A big thank you to the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund for all the funding they have provided for local projects such as this here in Horwich.”