A SQUAD of budding young footballers from Bolton were given an unexpected insight into one of the game's greatest ever players on a recent club trip to Amsterdam.

Farnworth Hurricanes' under-11s and u9s squad set off on a tour of Holland shortly after the death of Johan Cruyff.

Following a two-day tournament in the Dutch capital they were booked to go on a tour of the Ajax Stadium, which coincided with the final day of a touching memorial to the club's most famous son.

Hurricanes founder and manager Jamie Brown said: "He died three days before we were due to set off for Holland, so the boys were all reading about him on their ipads on the way over.

"Going on the tour of the stadium really helped bring it home to them just how important a player he was.

"Our guide was able to give them lots of facts about him and just to be there in that atmosphere was an amazing experience.

"A lot of the Dutch players were there to pay their respects and Edwin van der Sar stopped outside the ground to have his picture taken with the lads.

"They had a special exhibition near the goalmouth where a lot of people had laid flowers, and there were pictures of Cruyff with players like Pele on the big screen.

"The boys had to be quieter than usual inside the stadium as a lot of local people were sitting in the stands paying their respects. It was a really special moment that I am sure they will never forget."

Before making the homage to the home of Ajax, the Hurricanes players were able to test their skills against teams from Holland and Belgium.

The u11s won every game in the group stages and lost just one of the eight matches to finish third.

The u9s squad, which also included a number of players from the club's u8s teams, found the going a bit tougher, but ended up finishing as runners-up in the second tier of the competition.

"It is the first time we have ever organised a trip like this but we have already booked to go to Belgium next year," added Brown.

"We arranged it through a Bolton company called ISL, taking 18 players and 58 people in total, including friends and family.

"It was great to be able to introduce the lads to the way football is played in different cultures. You could see the difference in the way the young Dutch players used the ball, just getting it down, passing and moving.

"So it was a great experience for our lads. I could not have been prouder about the way they behaved and I think they took a lot from it."

The trip was partly made possible by financial help from sponsor Perpetual Fostering.

Owner Tahir Khan added: "It was uplifting to see so many young people committed to taking their footballing talents to Europe and showcasing their skills on the pitch.

"Farnworth Hurricanes is an excellent club providing football opportunities for a range of children and young people within the Bolton area and as a local fostering agency it is fitting that we send them off with our best wishes and financial support."

Brown set up the Farnworth Hurricanes 10 years ago and it has grown from just one team to nine, ranging in age from u7s to u18s, with the club recently setting up a new group for children aged three to six.

They train – every Wednesday from 6pm – and play at Essa Academy in the Bolton, Bury and District Junior League.

To find out more call Brown on 07974 015517 or search for Farnworth Hurricanes on Facebook.