PRIME Minister and Witney MP David Cameron has spoken of the “moral message” of losing the World Cup bid.

He made the comments to primary school children in Chadlington, where he was presenting awards for his annual Christmas card competition and unveiling a mosaic plaque.

Mr Cameron was in Zürich with David Beckham, Prince William and other dignitaries to persuade Fifa, football’s governing body, that England should host the 2018 World Cup.

They lost out to Russia’s bid and Mr Cameron said: “I thought there was a good moral for all of you, that I drew from this, which is that all through your life sometimes you will think to yourself: ‘Should I really try for this and what happens if I don’t succeed?’ “The truth is, in life, you always have to try and you should never be put off by the fact that you don’t succeed, or you don’t make it, because if you don’t try you don’t even have the chance of succeeding.

“It’s only by being on the football pitch you have a chance of scoring the goal.

“While it was very sad not to win, I spoke to Prince William and he was very sad, and I spoke to David Beckham and he was very, very sad. We all tried, we all put our best foot forward, and England had a great bid. Sadly we didn’t win, but sometimes in life that happens.

“And one of the other lessons in life is that you should always be a good winner – and not boast – and be a good loser.

“When you lose, you need to pick yourself up, say well done to the person who won, and then you have to get on with the rest of your life.”