Angel O'Dwyer was first introduced to street football in 2016 after dealing with difficulties in her personal and family life.

Now the 19-year-old woman from Croydon will be donning her nation's colours as part of team England's coaching staff during Street Child World Cup in Moscow.

Taking place a month before the Fifa World Cup, Ms O’Dwyer will work as a coach and mentor with young players who have experienced homelessness, rehabilitation or social exclusion at the event.

"It was the most incredible experience, I couldn’t imagine I would ever be given that opportunity," she said.

"The whole organisation and set up is amazing, they are giving young people hope and a chance that they would never usually get.”

Before becoming a coach for the Palace for Life Foundation, the 19-year-old was a volunteer, working with youngsters in some of the most deprived areas in south London.

This year's tournament will see teams of boys and girls will represent 24 national teams, including England, and Ms O'Dwyer is confident the experience will positively benefit each of them.

"They’ve generally never been away from where they grew up and are very low on confidence or going through a really difficult time, so it’s all about giving them the support to carry on and push forward," she said.

"It’s a ripple effect, once you have a positive influence like this, it can stop the automatic negative thoughts and help make you a better person.

“They will be nervous at first, but as long as they all go in with an open mind, they will meet people from different countries who are going through the same things as them and it will show them that they are not alone and everyone has hope together, that’s what makes it special.”