UAE academy Elite FC get a taste for Premier League life

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  • Addressing the media: Elite FC players field questions in the Man City press room.

    UAE-based academy Elite FC took two of their development squads on a UK tour last week to introduce their players to life as a professional footballer – on and off the pitch.

    The Under 13 and U15 squads assembled from Dubai and Abu Dhabi faced the daunting prospect of playing against some of the brightest young talents in British football.

    The teams took on Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen FC in their first game before facing Newcastle United’s academy sides.

    The third and final match in store for Elite FC was against the epitome of quality – Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City.

    Between the matches, the players received intense training from academy coaches (below) and took part in various team-bonding exercises such as laser quest and go-karting.

    Steve Whittaker and Richard Chapman, joint Directors of Elite FC Sport, mentored the boys on their inaugural tour. With 30 years of combined coaching experience, the duo are well-placed to lend advice to their players.

    “The main purpose of the trip was to give our players the experience of what it is like to be a professional footballer,” Chapman told Sport360°. “To train on a daily basis, travel on a coach together and to play against the top players in the UK. Elite FC’s intention was to give the players that experience of playing against the best.”

    This was a unique prospect for many of the players who have grown up in the UAE and never visited the UK before. The 20-strong squad comprised of players from the UAE, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Australia, Maldives and the UK.

    Elite FC’s first games against Aberdeen didn’t go to plan as both the U13 and U15 sides lost, however, the Scottish side fielded players a year older than the tourists.

    The budding footballers then headed off to Newcastle United and their iconic stadium of St James’ Park.

    Ahead of playing against Newcastle, the tour party got the chance to see the top pros in action when Alan Pardew’s side hosted Manchester United.

    This proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Elite FC lads, many of whom had never experienced the buzz and passion of a live Premier League match.

    For two players in particular, it proved an occasion to cherish. Jordyn Hamilton and Charlie Orgill, who both won man of the match in Elite’s opening games, were rewarded with the opportunity to be ball boys.

    This allowed them to grace the pitch and walk out with their idols but the boys’ biggest amazement was purely the size of the players.

    ‘”Welbeck is humongous,” they claimed surprisingly. It was a good job Newcastle weren’t facing Stoke’s gangling forward Peter Crouch!

    For the rest of the squad, it was still a captivating event and a real eye-opener for the youngsters.

    “It was a fantastic experience because for about 80 per cent of the boys, it was the first time they had ever been to watch a live Premier League game,” Chapman explained. “They were shocked about how passionate it was, how vocal the crowd were when anything good or bad happened.

    “It was a bit intimidating because we were seated with the Newcastle fans so at the end of the game there were some very unhappy supporters (after losing 4-0).”

    So how did the young aspiring footballers respond to the atmosphere of a Premier League ground?

    “All the players definitely want to go back and play for Premier League teams in the future” Chapman replied.

    This is the exactly what Elite FC aims to pursue in the future.

    “The whole idea is to run an Academy to improve players and to maximise their potential in football,” Chapman added. “The end goal is to get somebody signed by a professional club.”

    It is not an unachievable task, as UAE expat Kieran Geldenhuys proved when he signed for Notts County at the start of the 2012/13 season.

    Elite FC illustrated their star quality when they faced Newcastle and performed superbly. The U13s won 6-1 and the U15s 3-1 in extremely convincing victories.

    Rory Canagan was the standout player for the U13s with a hat trick; a feat he’ll surely never forget.

    “All the lads were buzzing because they were playing against an academy team that wore the entire kits so beating them both was an added bonus,” Chapman said.

    The final fixture was a tasty proposition against Manchester City – a match many of the Abu Dhabi based players eagerly awaited.

    These matches were the tightest of the tour and the results were marginally unfortunate. The U13s lost 6-5 and the U15s lost 7-6 but considering they were 6-1 down at one point, they produced a courageous fight back.

    The players didn’t only have to answer to their coaches when living the life of a footballer – they also had to face the ruthless media.

    A press conference was held at the end of the tour where the players were interviewed and filmed in front of live cameras.

    A players-player award was decided for the tournament in front of the press. The winner from the U13s was captain Jordyn Hamilton and Spaniard Carlos Rivero took the honours for the U15s.

    “Jordyn was man of the match in the first game, had a good second game and was excellent in the last game,” Chapman stated. “Throughout the tour, he inspired the team with his determination and desire.

    “Carlos was excellent on the tour. His attitude was exceptional on and off the field as he helped the younger lads out but also put in the performances on the pitch and the training ground.

    “The other coaches certainly acknowledged his potential from the other academies.”

    This tour wouldn’t have been so successful, if it wasn’t for the exemplary attitude and behaviour from the players.

    “They went to bed when they were asked. We had strict curfews so they got up early for breakfast,” Chapman revealed. “We had a couple of competitions so whoever was last down for breakfast would have a forfeit and that was to wear a Marouane Fellaini wig whilst eating to the other lads delight.”

    However, it wasn’t merely Elite FC that benefitted from the tour. It was also a fantastic experience for the British teams who are now seeking annual fixtures against the UAE based side.

    Chapman added: “The UK Academies have invited Elite FC to return for another tour next year so that’s something we can look forward to on a regular basis. It was also a good experience for them playing against different nationalities.”

    Elite FC is looking into the prospect of playing in different countries next season.

    “We would like to face academies in either Munich, Madrid or Barcelona next year. It will be beneficial for the players if we mix it up.”

    Elite FC are holding trials in May for their development squads. If you are interested, please contact: [email protected].

    Fore more information on the academy, visit: www.elite-fc.ae or their Facebook group at ‘Elite Football Coaching'.

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