Mikey Buchan is one of England's brightest visually impaired footballing talents, but the 14-year-old was not always comfortable with the game.
"I had no prior experience of football at all," he says. "I didn't know any of the rules."
Five years ago, Mikey started playing with the Newcastle United Foundation, where he could develop his skills and confidence in specially designed coaching sessions.
"It was the first time in my life I got to experience being able to run around at the speed of light and having the confidence to do that because I knew where I was and I knew all the people," he says. "It was absolutely amazing."
The programme has not just made an impact on Mikey's footballing skills. Mixing with other visually impaired players has made him feel part of a wider community.
"I went to a mainstream school and I never had any experience with other visually impaired people," he says. "When I got to football, there was this whole other world that I was part of and I didn't know. They all knew how I felt."
Inspired by his coach, Paul Matheson, and helped by the Premier League & BT Disability Fund, Mikey has grabbed his opportunity with the Foundation and has been identified as one of 13 boys suitable for the FA Player pathway, which could lead to him playing for his country.
"You get professional training to eventually play for England and I'm looking to go forward with that," he says. "It's just the beginnings of my new life and I really think that it's going to help me and it could even turn into a career, who knows?"
