FA Cup winner and Reading FC legend Lawrie Sanchez was on hand to open a mural at his old school.

The ex-Northern Ireland manager attended Christ The King primary school 35 years ago, before going on to play for the Royals for seven years, making 261 appearances.

Sanchez was at Christ The King to celebrate 50 years of the school being opened, a celebration involving a mass with Portsmouth Diocese Vicar General Canon Michael Dennehy and Father Pat Madden of Christ The King Parish.

The former Reading midfielder opened up about his time at the school and his fond memories.

"I left here in 1972, so it's a long time ago, it looks a lot smaller now but I suppose I'm quite a bit bigger than when I left" He said.

"I started here three years after the school opened, so I'm not one of the first intake but one of the early ones.

"I've lived in and around Reading for most of my life, so I've driven past and down the road in the years since, but never been back in the school until today, it's quite interesting to stand in the playground where I used to play.

"We had a teacher here, who was very much into football, he was very keen on organising football in the school, from here at that age I played for Reading schools at about ten years old, that started me on my way to playing for Reading.

"These playing fields look smaller now but that's where I started my career.

"We used to organise five a side tournaments, and we had a mini world cup from subbuteo which was given to the winners, and we won that once, I remember that to this day, that was my first trophy."

Sanchez then spoke about the impact the school has on the community, saying: "It's about the teachers, it's about the place, rather than anything else, it's about the ethos.

"If you set up a school where teachers care and do the right things, you can move on from there and lead good lives."