AN INSPIRATIONAL teenager has been nominated for a Community Pride award for his selfless work to help others achieve more in the beautiful game.

Danny Bentley, 14, plays for Tockwith Juniors under 15s and is an aspiring referee and coach, and in his spare time can be found training other youngsters and runs football camps during the summer.

Club secretary Gary Allam has nominated the teen for the Spirit of Youth award after increasingly impressing his peers both on and off the field.

And the youngster, of Boroughbridge Road, in York, is planning a trip to Macedonia next month with his mum and sister to teach football to disadvantaged children.

"Danny, is a delightful young man, always willing to offer his help and is a great credit to our club," said Gary.

"He is extremely keen to move into coaching football when he's 16, to gain his professional qualifications and also to take his referee's badge.

"In the meantime, during the evenings and at weekends when he's not training with his team, you will find Danny actively involved with the younger age groups assisting the coaches.

"During the Summer, Danny also volunteers and helps run the football camps, all to help him gain further experience coaching children. "

Last season Danny completed his Football Association's Young Leaders award in coaching football and has spent time at the FA's state of the art coaching centre in Burton-upon-Trent.

"He will do well in the long term and is a name to watch," added Mr Allam.

"Considering how young he is, he's extremely motivated for his age, forward thinking and football is his life.

"I took him down to the England training centre at St George's Park last September to get him some experience with their coaches and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Since then he has grown in spirit and whenever he has some free time he will offer it to help out any age group in the club, and he is very keen to do his coaching and referee badges but is under age at the moment."

The awards are run in partnership with City of York Council and the primary sponsor is Benenden.

All Community Pride nominees must live in, or contribute to life in, the City of York Council area. Around three finalists from each category will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October, when the winners will be revealed.

You can make a nomination www.yorkpress.co.uk/communitypride or by filling in the form on this page and providing detailed reasons for why you are making the nomination.

Entries must be submitted by Friday, July 17.