Eight young footballers from the Caribbean and Central America – who were selected by England and Liverpool football legend, John Barnes, from the Digicel Kick Start Clinics 2010 – yesterday completed a week’s training at Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light with some of the best coaches in the Barclays Premier League.
Sunderland AFC manager and former Manchester United legend, Steve Bruce, spoke exclusively to www.digicelfootball.com about how the Digicel Kick Start Clinics winners have improved this week, what an opportunity to train at Sunderland AFC’s Academy offers to aspiring young footballers, and what is the key to becoming a successful footballer on the world stage.
“I understand from our coaching staff that the boys have approached their week here with us with enthusiasm and applied themselves very well. I’m sure it has been hard for them on many fronts – the language barrier, being a long distance away from home and, of course, training at an increased intensity that they are simply not used to. I think they’ve acquitted themselves well and given a great account of themselves.
“In terms of talent coming out of the Caribbean and Central America, these regions have produced a number of world-class footballers over the years – John Barnes, Dwight Yorke and Kenwyne Jones to name but a few – and you can see that football is clearly emerging and growing in these parts of the world,” he continued.
“Going forward, I think it’s important that the boys build on what they have learned from their time with us. Hopefully, they will have realised that to become a top footballer you have to put the work in – day in, day out. It’s about giving your all in training every day, learning from those around you, listening to your coaches and applying yourself. Mentality is so important too – you have to have the right attitude to succeed.
“The boys met two of our Paraguayan players – defender, Paula Da Silva, and midfielder, Cristian Riveros, and if the boys want to play at their level, all they can do is continue to work hard. If they have the ability and they apply themselves in the right way, then the opportunities will come to them.
When speaking about the importance of harnessing talent from a young age, and the benefits of initiatives such as the Digicel Kick Start Clinics partnering with Sunderland AFC, Steve said; “Naturally, if you are working with players at a young age it gives you the chance to teach them good habits early. You have to be careful not to stifle natural ability, but it is important that youngsters learn discipline, technique and game play early in their careers.
“Having the chance to come here to the Academy is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these boys. We are fortunate here in Sunderland to have some of the most amazing facilities that give us everything a professional footballer could possibly need. Add to this the experience of our coaching staff and Digicel, and these aspiring young footballers are getting world class training at a very young age.”
Matthew Woo Ling from Trinidad & Tobago; Vidal Gonzalez and Fernando Meneses from Panama; Jose Villavicencio, Bryan Landaverde and Alvaro Lizama from El Salvador; and Julio Oliva and German Mejia from Honduras were the eight most talented footballers selected by John Barnes from the Digicel Kick Start Clinics.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics are supported by Jack Warner, Vice President of FIFA and President of both CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.
The Clinics – which kicked off on July 20th in Trinidad & Tobago, before moving on to Panama, El Salvador and Honduras – saw 150 talented young footballers receive expert coaching in the beautiful game.
Digicel has been involved in a wide range of football initiatives designed to support the development of football in the Caribbean and Central America over the last six years. Digicel, which has operations in 32 countries worldwide, sponsors 17 Football Federations and Leagues, as well as the Digicel Caribbean Cup and the Copa de Naciones Digicel in Central America.
