A STATE-of-the-art football pitch at a Meon Valley school got the Premier League seal of approval when it was opened by Southampton star Victor Wanyama.

The £500,000 3G synthetic turf pitch at Swanmore College was launched with the Saints midfielder last Thursday after a six-month build.

Floodlit football and hockey will be available all year round for pupils, with community bookings already 70 per cent full on evenings and weekends.

The Kenyan spent over an hour signing autographs and chatting with pupils after giving the pitch a once-over.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Site manager Chris Loveday said: “This pitch really extends our curriculum. When you look at our sport facilities we are now able to compete with the private schools in the Winchester area. The head’s very keen on active pupils – if a child’s active then they learn better, they’re brighter.”

The school already has links with Southampton, counting academy starlet Jake Hesketh among its former pupils and running girl’s football sessions with the club’s Saints Foundation.