Football and theatre may not seem to have much in common.

But now Oxford United and Pegasus Theatre are joining forces in a new project to show just how much common ground they have.

Together they hope to improve children’s skills and confidence by teaming up to run joint projects for the city’s youngsters.

Yesterday Oxford United stars Michael Duberry, Andy Whing and Lewis Guy visited the Magdalen Road theatre to launch the scheme.

Former Chelsea and Leeds defender Duberry said: “Both football and theatre are about gaining confidence.

“If you can take kids and give them confidence it will benefit them.

“As much as I am confident on the field, standing there and performing and remembering lines so close to an audience seems quite intimidating.”

Duberry said he had been impressed by Pegasus and said one of his favourite theatre experiences had been seeing The Colour Purple in New York.

The joint project aims to create programmes for 14 to 19- year-olds, particularly targeting those not in education, employment or training.

Sessions would involve both sport and theatre skills and be run at both Pegasus and the Kassam Stadium as well as other sites in the county.

Fellow defender Whing said: “It is very good for the football club to branch out into the community, especially to places like this.

“Footballers are seen as role models and kids are going to look up to their heroes, so it is nice to come into this place and give a little back.”

He said his favourite theatre performance had been seeing Monty Python in Las Vegas.

Pegasus youngster Bruno Rogers, 14, of Fairacres Road, said: “It is a very good idea to get more people doing new things. I have not really played much football and it would be interesting to widen the things I am interested in.”

Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “There is a wonderful synergy between what they are doing and what we do, with our work with young people.

“We have seen recently there are some issues in certain age groups. If we can develop those groups and give them something to do that has to be a benefit.”

He said the two organisations would work together on joint projects but said the details had not been finalised.

Pegasus CEO and artistic director Euton Daley said: “We have got two successful local organisations working in arts and leisure coming together with different disciplines to support each other and support young people.

“People who go to football maybe are not into the arts and this is about giving them those possibilities and links.”

He said football and theatre had a lot in common, with both relying heavily on teamwork, spatial awareness and confidence.

He added: “In a lot of football clubs now there is a lot of training in developing players’ muscles, and we do that in dance. It may be that some of our dance work here can help to develop that. Footballers dancing, why not?”