Jihadi John was a 'loner at school' who liked S Club 7 and wanted to be a footballer

ISLAMIC State (IS) murderer Jihadi John was a loner at school who liked pop band S Club 7 and wanted to grow up to be a footballer.

Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi JohnCHANNEL 4

The first footage of Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, without his mask has been revealed

The killer, whose , was known during school as a shy pupil who was picked on in the playground.

Details of the jihadist's young life was unearthed tonight as the first footage of Emwazi without his masked was revealed.

The clip, obtained by Channel 4 News, showed when he was 15 at his former school Quintin Kynaston in St John's Wood.

In the video, shot in May 2004, Emwazi can be seen continually trying to avoid the camera's gaze and hiding his face when it pointed at him.

Two different people who knew the 26-year-old at the time identified him in the clip.

Channel 4 footage of Mohamed Emwazi at school

That is one of the most frightening parts - how a promising young person who had many gifts could use his talents for such evil

Diane Foley

They said he was regularly one of the first people picked to play football at lunchtime and that he was a talented footballer.

His former classmates added that when Emwazi was young he said he wanted to grow up to be a footballer.

But instead his life took a very different turn and he became one of the world's most notorious terrorists.

 in horrific propaganda videos, including Britons  and .

The video footage also shows Emwazi, who is said to have loved British staple chips as a youngster, struggling to fit in while at school.

Diane Foley, the mother of American journalist  who is believed to have been murdered by Emwazi, spoke to Channel 4 about the footage.

Mohammed EmwaziCHANNEL 4

Footage has emerged of Mohammed Emwazi as a schoolboy playing football

She said: "That is one of the most frightening parts - how a promising young person who had many gifts could use his talents for such evil.

"It's very frightening he would end up filled with such hate. That's very disturbing to me, that young people would be attracted to such hatred and brutality."

Asked whether the identification of Emwazi helped bring closure, she said: "It really, truly does not make that much difference because if it had not been that young man, then I'm afraid it would have been someone else. 

Jihadi John as a schoolboyCHANNEL 4

Former classmates described Jihadi John as shy and a loner when he was younger

"I think it's tragic for that young man and his family - it's just so sad and we must do more to protect our young people from the lies that have instilled so much hate and brutality."

Mrs Foley added that she felt Jihadi John needed to punished for ending "many lives" but also emphasised the need for forgiveness.

She said: "We also need to forgive one another at some point for the hatred not to keep continuing.

"I will trust the justice system to do what they feel is best; none of that is going to bring Jim home."

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