YOUNG Rawtenstall footballers were quick to pick up the odd tip from Manchester United ace Phil Neville when he visited budding stars taking part in a special exchange programme, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Father David Lupton, of St James the Less RC Church, in Burnley Road, set up his first football team in the 1970s and in 1973 organised the first exchange between his church team and a team in Castleisland, County Kerry, in Ireland.

Since then, whichever church he has been at, including St Joseph's in Accrington, he has carried on the tradition.

Earlier this year he took more than 30 boys from his Rawtenstall parish across to Castleisland and at the weekend the Irish team, led by their manager Georgie O'Callaghan, made the return visit.

On Saturday they went to see Phil Neville, who lives in Crawshawbooth with his wife Julie and their one-year-old son Harvey, on the pitch at Old Trafford for Manchester United's 4-0 win over Bolton.

Then on Sunday they got to meet him in the flesh when he dropped into see them at the church.

He was surrounded by football mad boys from both teams when he arrived, in his blue BMW, and he spent some time chatting to them and signing autographs.

Phil, who was married by Father Lupton at St James the Less, said: "It is far more rewarding doing something like this in my local community.

"I have always been very well received round here and it is nice to be able to give something back."

He added: "They all came to watch the game on Saturday, so it is nice for me to be able to come here and meet them all."