The $4000 grant, from Sydney FC sponsor HBA, will be to buy equipment and facilities at the football-mad school.

Santalab spoke to students about his time at Keira High and then stayed afterwards to have a kick with some of the school's many players.

"It was good - it brought back some memories, seeing all my ex-teachers, and I actually know some of the students here now as well," Santalab said.

"It is obviously great for the school and great for John Cropper, the head of soccer here at the school, because he's got more to work with now and I'm sure the students and anyone who wants to become a footballer one day will appreciate it as well."

Cropper said the school had an insatiable appetite for the round-ball game.

"Everything we can go in, we go in," he said, adding that the money would be put to good use.

"We going to be able to buy them better playing strips, better training gear and we are going to get some portable goals," Cropper said.

"One of our aims is to give more of a chance for kids to play during lunchtimes."

Keira High has a proud footballing history, having produced many Socceroos and won a record number of South Coast regional finals.

The school lays claim to being the only school to have provided members of both Australian teams to have competed in the World Cup finals: Max Tolson in 1974 and Mile Sterjovski in 2006.