Reuben, a Year 4 pupil from Westbourne School, stars as Ripley in the second series of Football Fantastics.
The live-action show, set in Yorkshire, follows the adventures of a weekend grassroots football group and celebrates friendship, teamwork, and resilience on and off the pitch.
Reuben said: “Most of the things my character does, I would definitely do.
“He’s clumsy, loud, funny, but really, really kind.”
He landed the role after a competitive audition process in London, where he was coached by professionals from both the football and television industries.
Reuben said: “We would get our football boots on and run straight outside, just to play few more games of football before bed, oh and of course learn lines for the best day”.
The young actor has trained at Stagecoach Performing Arts Pontypridd since the age of three and now attends the school for three hours each week.
Filming took place over several months in North Yorkshire, where Reuben lived with the rest of the cast.
He described the experience as “the best time in his life ever mixing the two things he is most passionate about ‘Acting’ and ‘Football’.”
Despite the long days on set, which included football training and schoolwork with on-set tutors, Reuben and the other cast members couldn’t resist playing more football in their downtime.
He said: “I have my school friends and then I have my Stagecoach friends too.
“I’m so lucky to have so many.”
