Whether they came from a Brazilian favela or a Merseyside council estate, street footballers have a guile that elevates them above manufactured talent.
They're streetwise, approaching the physical battle and technical duels with equal swagger.
Improvisation is king when you take the game to the street. There are no tactics or formations – just a group of players vying for the ball across a landscape of bins, lamp posts and stray traffic cones.
Sharpen your skills here and you’ll give yourself an edge out on the pitch, concur Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs.
Playing for a club that favours ball mastery over brawn, the pair appreciate the importance of mercurial feet, and see a new breed of street footballer coming through at Arsenal.
To find out why the England duo encourage a footballing education taught on the street hit play and plug yourself in.
Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs were speaking as part of the new adidas #BeTheDifference campaign, wearing the all-new adidas X15. For more www.adidas.co.uk/football. To join the conversation, follow @adidasUK
For more football tips see:
Master technique: 1 v 1 feints
Master technique: 1 v 1 competition
Master technique: 1 v 1 change of direction
Master technique: combination plays
Master technique: First touch and finishing
Master technique: Pass and move combinations
Master technique: Ball mastery part one
Master technique: Ball mastery part two
Master technique: Running and passing at speed
Master technique: Speed with the ball
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