Youngsters in the North East had the thrill of a lifetime today as they took to the football field with Prince William and played a mini five-a-side tournament.

Visiting The Football Association's Hat-Trick project in Newcastle, the Prince joined local children in a classroom discussion about sporting behaviour before putting a tracksuit on and taking to the field.

In his role as President of The FA the Prince spoke with primary school children at the Centre for Sport at West Gate Community College, then played his part in a small-sided tournament before presenting the teams with awards and prizes to round off the day.

Speaking at the event FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick said: "I think the Hat-Trick project is absolutely vital, it is quite clear from watching everyone involved here today just what a positive impact it can have.

"It's what makes football different, it's a sport that everyone can take part in and take hold of, and that's very important. It provides opportunities and hope and that's crucial for young people to have."

Also visiting the scheme were England Under-21s captain Steven Taylor, Jill Scott fresh from her exploits at the Women's World Cup in China with the Three Lions, and FA Director of Football Development Sir Trevor Brooking.

Sir Trevor was pleased to see that a number of kids who have been part of the project in the past were now coming back to be invoved in the coaching.

"It's aimed at kids but sometimes you see them come through the project, get a bit older and want to be involved on the coaching side which is fantastic and shows that it's made an impact.

"I visited another hat-trick project in Shoreditch earlier this year where they had 400 kids and 72 languages; clearly it's a massive challenge. But football undoubtedly can play a huge part in bridging communities together, kids who play football can communicate on the pitch and gradually break down the barriers that can exist.

"With Prince William here the youngsters obviously got very excited, but he settled in very well and I think after a while they didn't really think about the fact they were playing football with someone from the Royal family.

"Also Jill and Steven are great role models in the sport, particularly here in the North East, so for them to come along is fantastic."

Co-ordinated by The FA and funded by UEFA and the Government’s New Deal for Communities scheme, the Hat-Trick project provides a range of football opportunities for 7-16 year olds in 19 disadvantaged communities across the country, and Steven Taylor was delighted to see the passion and enthusiasm of the local kids.

He said: "I think it's massive for the local area, for these young kids to be given the opportunity to play with these facilities it's fantastic.

"When I was a kid we didn't have these kind of facilities, we would play in parks and fields, nothing like what we see here at West Gate. They're getting top quality coaching as well.

"You saw huge smiles on their faces to see Prince William here today, and the fact that he's joined in with the five-a-side tournament is great for the kids. The enthusiasm the kids have is huge and football will always have that effect, so if you give them the right starting point they'll give it everything."

Having returned from China after playing in each of England's games at the World Cup, Jill Scott was delighted to be back in her native North East where she started her football career.

"Football is such a great sport for making friends and enjoying yourself and to see these kids here shows what it can do," Jill explained.

"When I was growing up I had to decide between long-distance running and playing football, and I chose football because of the bonds you can make.

"The Hat-Trick project is great and obviously having Prince William come here makes this even more special for the kids.

"Just looking around at the facilities here, they have the five-a-side pitches and the astro-turf surfaces, changing rooms and classrooms; it's great for them to have that from such a young age and that'll make them better players in the future."

Hat-Trick Project information:

The FA Hat-Trick regeneration programme is a three-year scheme that has seen the appointment of 19 community football workers around the country after The FA secured £4.5million in funding from UEFA and the Government.

Their role is to provide a range of football opportunities for young people aged 7-16 in communities that suffer from multiple deprivation; poor health, housing, education, and high incidences of crime and drug abuse. These areas also include significant ethnic minority communities and this scheme is enabling The FA to further its commitment to Football for All.