For years Brazilians have amazed with their super-samba skills on the football pitch, winning games with such ease that opponents have been left thinking they are wearing two left boots.

But as Brazil prepares to defend its title as soccer's greatest nation in France this summer, a British primary school teacher believes he has discovered the South American nation's biggest secret.

Simon Clifford believes that he knows how to make England's World cup dreams come true

Simon Clifford, who teaches in Leeds, has spent £8,000 of his own money touring Brazil to try to understand what, if anything, makes their boys such good football players.

He says it comes down to a style of soccer played in the streets from a very early age.

Brazilian children grow up playing Futebol de Salao, which is similar to Europe's five-a-side game, but played with a much heavier and smaller ball.

This means that the children have to concentrate a lot harder on controlling the ball, rather than rely on the tried and tested British methods of either booting it up field or going for the mad scramble in the penalty box.

Mr Clifford, who studied how Brazil's stars of tomorrow play the game, said: "You can see that the ability of the children is quite incredible ... the skills and the way that they play.

Children in Brazil are taught to control the ball rather than go for glory runs into the penalty box

"And you can see by the looks on their faces that they love playing football and that they probably play all day long."

From these early days of kicking a ball around the streets, the best children are trained for up to 20 hours a week in special centres.

It is there that they are told to concentrate on ball control, possession and passing rather than tactics and stamina.

"The children use their feet very, very quickly and they use the ball on the floor," said Mr Clifford.

"This is a great start for kids, it is what they need to become masters of the ball before they move on.

"They use the ball on the soles of their feet more than a lot of professionals could in England."

Many Brazilian professionals and stars of great footballing moments from the past swear by Futebol de Salao which has since been approved by soccer's world governing body, Fifa, and shortened its name to Futsal.

British school children could soon be as good as Pele thanks to Simon Clifford's plan

So has the game got a future in England? Mr Clifford, armed with 30 of the smaller Brazilian balls, is coaching children in the game in Leeds.

He has impressed the Football Association which is waiting for him to complete his coaching guide for the game.

Then perhaps Brazil will come to regret letting a teacher from Leeds into the country on an innocent fact-finding mission.
 

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