"IT won't happen again", PE teacher Ian Gregory says.
"To have two girls who went to the same school at the same time to become European champions is unbelievable".
Of course, Fred Longworth's head of PE is speaking about Women's Euros champion Ella Toone and Olympic athlete Keely Hodgkinson, who were pupils at the Tyldesley-based high school from 2011 and 2013 respectively.
READ > Wigan Council confirms it will rebid for Levelling Up funding in Leigh
Scoring the equalising goal in the final of the Euros at Wembley, Tyldesley's Ella Toone became a household name last summer after she helped the Lionesses lift the country's first major football trophy since 1966.
Two years her junior, Atherton-based Keely Hodgkinson had already been making waves in the world of athletics after becoming the youngest-ever European indoor 800m champion in 2021, followed by taking home a Silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and gold in the European Championships last August.
Reflecting on their time at Freddie's, PE teachers Ian Gregory and Jim Cannon said they knew the pair was special from an early age.
"They were both ultra-competitive and wanted to do everything at sports day," Mr Cannon said, "and they both had a face on them if they didn't win!
"They've both got that real Tyldesley grit of never giving up on anything, but at the same time being very humble and grounded.
"Although Keely was more laidback than Ella, they were always driven and focused. You just knew how talented they were."
Starting her career at Astley & Tyldesley girl's football team, Ella began playing for Manchester United and England youth teams as a Freddie's pupil - while also being the only girl in the school football team.
A lot of Keely's spare time was also taken up by training in her school days, as she was coached at Leigh Harriers, competed in cross-country races, and selected for English and European youth championships.
But while Ella and Keely's talent was evident, what was more pleasing to their PE teachers was the discipline to stay committed to their goals.
"They both sacrificed a lot," Mr Gregory said.
"A lot of their friends would have been partying at the weekend but they were training all the time. I even remember Keely keeping up with her stretches on a school trip because she had a competition coming up.
"But there were no complaints; they both realised what opportunity they had."
While the two athletes have gone on to win continental titles, their teachers say they remain down-to-earth girls who want to share their success with those who have helped them along the way.
Frequently dropping into their former school to show off their medals, sign autographs, and chat with their old teachers, the pair have become "massive celebrities" to the current crop of students who want to follow in their footsteps.
"You've got little girls in awe and following them around whenever they come in, the kids love it!" Mr Cannon said.
"There are a lot more girls playing football and more committed in PE now, so we use Ella and Keely's resilience and values as a kind of mantra to them.
"They both haven't changed a bit so I'm really proud to see that they want to come in and show off their success with us."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here