A Tolworth pupil laid a wreath to commemorate her great-grandfather, who gave up playing for Manchester United to fight in World War I, while she was on a school trip to France last week.

Mollie Linkson, 15, is the great-granddaughter of former football player Oscar Linkson.

Mr Linkson was a full-back and played 55 times for Manchester United before signing up to the 1st Footballers Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.

The aim of those regiments was to encourage professional footballers and their fans to fight together.

He was killed on July 8, 1916, a week into the Battle of the Somme, at Delville Wood.

Tolworth Girls’ School ran its annual battlefields trip to Belgium and France on April 21, and Mollie was asked by Manchester United to present a wreath to remember all of the players who died in World War I.

In addition to Mr Linkson, those players were Alex Turnbull, Bernard Donaghey, Arthur Beadsworth, Arthur Hooper and Thomas Wall.

In a small ceremony attended by the 74 students Mollie laid the wreath and a minute's silence was held in memory of the players.

On a card included with the wreath Mollie wrote her great-grandfather Oscar was “lost but never forgotten”.