The Digicel Kick Start Clinics 2010 will begin the fourth and final leg in Honduras next week having completed the third round in El Salvador yesterday. England and Liverpool legend and Head Coach, John Barnes, spoke exclusively to www.digicelfootball.com about the abundance of high quality football he has seen so far.
“The El Salvador group was a mixture of boys between those from the Fundación Educando a un Salvadoreño (FESA) Academy and those who qualified through regional try outs organised by Digicel; I saw some good quality football over the last couple of days from this group of players. This year again, we are seeing a good quality of talent similar to what we have witnessed in previous years with already more than ten boys showing the potential to be chosen to go to Sunderland AFC. With the Digicel Kick Start Clinics in Honduras still to take place next week, it’s not going to be an easy choice to pick my top eight.”
“On the first day in El Salvador, we did some training on the Astroturf pitch and, on the second day, we did training drills followed by a mini-tournament with three matches between three teams at the National Stadium. Despite the heavy rain that fell during the night, the pitch stood up well and there were some exciting games.
“I’m looking forward to Honduras – traditionally there has been a wealth of talented young footballers there and, with the national team’s presence in the World Cup, I’m expecting a lot of passion and dedication from the boys there too,” continued Barnes.
The next stop for the Digicel Kick Start Clinics is Honduras where 27 boys will try out for their chance to train for one week at English Premier League Club, Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light. The Clinics take place in Honduras from August 3rd to 5th.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics are supported by Jack Warner, Vice President of FIFA and President of both CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.
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.