'Free football sessions turned my life around'

Free football sessions "changed me" in a "brilliant way", according to a teenager who became a club coach after only a year.

Kyran, 17, said joining the sessions at AFC Telford Kicks 18 months ago stopped him "following the wrong path".

The scheme, funded by Telford and Wrekin Council, aims to get 11-16 year olds at risk of anti-social behaviour off the streets by engaging them in positive activity.

The teenager has since gone on to complete his level 1 coaching qualification.

While he never got into trouble with the police, he told BBC Radio Shropshire he had friends who did and felt pressured to follow the crowd.

"I was probably the most mature one out of all [my friends] but they had a few problems when we were younger - like loads of kids around the area, to be fair.

"If there's nothing much to do [and] we haven't got much money - it's challenging. If kids get bored they'll start [getting] into trouble and following the wrong path."

The teenager said he decided to try one of the sessions in Dawley and "never looked back".

"I didn't expect the football session to be that great but the other kids were my age, and the coaches were brilliant at running it, and it was enjoyable, so I kept going week after week," he said.

The Telford United fan said it fed his aspiration to become a PE teacher and he has since coached the girls' football team and helped deliver other council-run activity clubs.

"The sessions changed me as a person in a brilliant way," he said. "I felt like I was part of something and made loads of friends.

"Some of the kids had never played football. It makes me feel happy that I'm changing someone's lifestyle in a positive way."

Kyran is also further developing his skills at the Access Sport college based at the club in Wellington.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.