A team of young footballers have been crowned Champions of Europe.

Bradford Schools Football Association’s u15s have returned home from the Netherlands after recently lifting silverware on their ‘Dutch tour’.

The chosen players were nominated by their respective schools across the district, and those who made it through the trial period also found themselves selected for the trip to Holland.

Students from a variety of different schools including Titus Salts, Ilkley Grammar, Parkside, Beckfoot Thornton, Appleton Academy and St Bede's & St Joseph's all made the cut, and they were all on hand to contribute to the group’s success.

The team did Bradford proud, as they defeated teams from around Europe such as Belgium, Holland, Wales and Germany.

Up first for the West Yorkshire outfit was a game against Llangeinor FC, a side from Wales and Bradford secured a comfortable 2-0 victory to kickstart their group stage fixtures.

Harry Parr and Louie Walker both of Beckfoot found themselves on the scoresheet.

A 0-0 draw against KBSK Retie followed in the second group game, before Bradford stormed to a 3-0 victory in the final group game against Flair Football FC, of London.

Parkside’s Thomas Thackray, Titus Salts’ Ollie Richards and Parr, again, delivered the killer instinct at the right end of the field for their side to seal a top of the table finish for Bradford.

The quarter finals presented the local boys with an opportunity to showcase their immense attacking talent and that is exactly what they did.

Walker scored four, Parr scored one, while Titus Salts’ Milo Berry and Beckfoot Thornton’s Tyler Firth also found themselves on the scoresheet in a dominant 7-0 victory over SV Valkenswaard, of the Netherlands.

Ilkley Grammar School’s Thomas Goodall was the hat-trick hero in the semi-final, as he helped Bradford to a 4-0 victory over German outfit FC Hertha Bonn.

Max Larvin of St Bede’s & St Joseph’s was the other goalscorer.

And in the final it would be Appleton’s Owen Hart who struck the winner, as his side closed out a narrow 1-0 victory to be crowned European champions, sparking scenes of jubilation.

The team’s success was masterminded by managers Gary Ratnik and Colm Rafferty who did a fine job at getting their side to play in an eye-catching manner.

On June 1, James Hanson and new Lord Mayor Beverley Mullaney presented all age groups from u11s to u15s at Valley Parade.

The winning squad: Milo Berry – Titus Salts

. Max Bucktrouts - Ilkley Grammar School

. Thomas Thackray - Parkside Secondary School

. Max Brado - Beckfoot Thornton School

. Tyler Firth - Beckfoot Thornton School

. Louie Walker - Beckfoot Thornton School

. Jack Raper - Beckfoot Thornton School

. Harry Parr - Beckfoot School

. Alex Sadler-Townsend - Parkside Secondary School

. Sabian Ratnik - St Bede's & St Joseph's

. Max Larvin - St Bede’s & St Joseph’s 

. Teslim Bello-Osagie - St Bedes & St Joseph’s 

. Owen Hart - Appleton Academy

. Qasim Arshad - St Bede’s & St Joseph’s 

. Thomas Goodall - Ilkley Grammar School 

. Oliver Richards – Titus Salts