Football contracts and a fascination with the life of Nelson Mandela are two of the reasons Saddlers keeper Clayton Ince was encouraged to read, he told young fans.

Ince took to the stage at New Invention Junior School, in Cannock Road, to tell children about his reading experiences.

In front of two 180-strong audiences, Ince regaled young fans with his recollections of a biography of Nelson Mandela, and signed four footballs to hand out as prizes. He was there to promote World Book Day, which is this Thursday.

Teacher Rebecca Scordis said: “He is fantastic with the kids and was quite happy to stand on stage in front of hundreds.” The winners of signed footballs were Stephen Fox,  Lauren Walker, Kim Virk, and Jordan Fellows.

Winners had been encouraged to read as many books as possible, and they were also given some titles to get to grips with. These included The Iron Man, made famous by Hollywood movie The Iron Giant, as well as the Harry Potter books.