A squad of Pakistani players, many from the Leisure Leagues family. will be flying to Crete next week, carrying the hopes of a sports mad nation with them.

The party – the youngest of which is just 17 – will land on the gorgeous Greek Island of Crete to play a series of matches over a week that could see them return as legends.

With 212 million people backing them, and the considerable skills of former England International Kevin Reeves, coaching the players, they head to Rethymno in high spirits.

Reeves himself was looking forward to it, when we caught up with him last night as he continued his training with the squad and despite the presence of reigning World Champs, Germany, he said: “I don’t fear anyone in the group. With my players and a bit of luck, anything can happen!”

The players, selected after a countrywide trials process, are mostly from the country’s thriving Leisure Leagues network, Muhammad Waheed, the striker, at 17, is amongst the youngest of the players named in the entire tournament, while his experienced forward partner Hasan Bashir is 32 and those are the types of players that Reeves will be planning around.

As ever, though, with the Trunkwala family and World Group, the national team has been the pinnacle, but they are looking to build lasting foundations.

Click here to watch a video of the coaching sessions that have been going on throughout the country

Reeves, who played almost 350 games in a career that spanned ten years and once saw him as one of the most expensive players in the world, has been to Pakistan many times in the last few months, and has conducted coaching sessions for boys and girls, to ensure the next generation of footballers was well-catered for.

However, all his thoughts are now on the World Cup, where Pakistan will kick off against Slovenia.

All matches will be broadcast live on www.soccafederation.com