The London leg of the F3 World Tour took place on Wednesday, and as you would expect when the top 16 freestylers come together, the skills that they displayed were incredible.

In a world where doing three 'around-the-worlds' in one go is the norm, we had a chat with British contender and current leader Andrew Henderson before the competition.

Q - How and when did Football Freestyle begin for you?

Andrew - I started Freestyle in 2006 after seeing videos online of some guys doing tricks and I was kinda blown away. Like 'this has got to be fake'! And then I just kind of fell in love with it. I thought it was so cool that these guys could do all these crazy tricks and they hadn't been taught by anyone. They didn't need a coach, they didn't need any special facilities, didn't need a team around them, and they didn't need a training ground or stadium - only a ball. I found so much passion in that, because i'd played so many different sports - both team and individual - but none where there was so much freedom that Freestyle Football provided.

Q - What was the first trick that you managed to nail down that got your Freestyle juices flowing?

Andrew - The first trick that I landed was the regular keepy-uppys to build the fundamentals, but after that an 'around-the-world'. And now actually I hold the world record for that which is kinda funny.

Q - Were you any good on the football pitch?

Andrew - I don't mean to blow my own trumpet - but yes. I think that if I put any where near as much effort into football as I have with freestyle then I think I would have done pretty good. When I was younger, yeah I was a good player.

Q - How do you think Freestyle compares to standard football?

Andrew - Freestyle is so different from football and now it's a sport in it's own right. The only similarity is that we use a football and it's a sport. Freestyle is more than just a sport - it's an art-form, and I consider it as football but an extreme version. There are all these crazy skills, and you might see Neymar or Cristiano Ronaldo balance the ball on their head or their neck, but you're not going to see them balance the ball on the side of their head, flick it up, do a backflip, do five times 'around-the-world', along with the music on a stage. You're not going to see that - and that's what I love about Freestyle.

Q - Would what be your one tip to a young footballer who wanted to become a Football Freestyler?

Andrew - Advice that I would give to a young footballer is - all you need is a ball. Don't be afraid to get involved and ask questions online, even to the top guys. Just yesterday myself and Gautier Fayolle (fellow top 16 freestyler in the world) we posted a picture on Instagram and sat down for an hour or two answering questions. Don't be afraid to ask for advice.

Q - Do you find it difficult to stand out from the other competitors?

Andrew - It's difficult to stand out from the guys for a lot of people, but it's all about being creative. The ball is a tool to express yourself. I have an athletic/aggressive style - I'm jumping high, running and sliding. Whereas other guys like Gautier are using the music more like a dance, and he's taking inspiration from the likes of Charlie Chaplin whereas maybe i'll take inspiration from the likes of Bruce Lee.

Q - Are you looking forward to the home crowd tonight?

Andrew - Having the F3 World Tour here in London, with it being my home crowd here to support me, the pressure is on. I'm not feeling it now but I know when I'm up on stage and I see people I know in the crowd it'll be interesting, but i'll think it will motivate me. I won the last leg in Beijing and I had a few supporters there but nothing like they'll be tonight - we'll see.

Q - You got off to the perfect start -as you said - in Beijing. Is that the minimum you're after tonight?

Andrew - Absolutely. The minimum I want here is to finish first. I'm going for the win 100% and if I've got to beat the hardest guys in my path then so be it. I'm not thinking about second place one bit.

It wasn't to be for Andrew as he came up against eventual 3rd place PWG representing The Philippines in the 1st round and lost 2 votes to 1. He spoke briefly of his disappointment after the battle.

Watch Andrew's defeat in the video below and make your own mind up.

//www.youtube.com/embed/cwJcdPsLXXI

Andrew - I'm not the type of guy who makes excuses but I tried hiding it but the last few days I've had a cold, and travelling around so much has taken it's toll. I didn't show 100% of my ability today but hats off to Philip (PWG), he's an awesome freestyler. I'm confident that I have the tricks in my arsenal to win these competitions but you can't have it your way every time.

The competition was eventually won by Colombian 'Boyka' as he beat 'Charly' from Argentina in the final battle (video below). Some incredible skills and although it wasn't the result that Andrew wanted, he's still very much in with a shout of taking the title with one stage left to play.

//www.youtube.com/embed/2PacJrf7uac