Manchester City legend Patrick Vieira can “see no reason” why the club’s school football programme cannot develop an Abu Dhabi based-youngster for the first team in the future.
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The Al Ain branch of the Premier League champion’s City Football Schools operation opens at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium today, offering the chance for boys and girls from ages five to 14 to begin training.
Such activities are close to the heart of Vieira, who now works as the Elite Development Squad Manager at City following a stellar career which included a one-year swansong at Etihad Stadium prior to retiring in 2011.
The 1998 World Cup winner with France believes that City’s commitment to youth is key for the longevity of the club – which was bought out by Abu Dhabi United Group seven years ago – and that the vastly growing City Football Schools programme in the UAE is a good thing for fans and players alike.
Manchester City coaches head to @HBZStadium on Monday March 2nd to start the 4 week training sessions pic.twitter.com/K3o4dvHiSM
— HBZstadium (@HBZstadium) March 1, 2015
He said: “I have been to Abu Dhabi many times and I strongly believe there is talent there. There is a huge amount of talent and passion. And with the City Football Schools, they have the facilities to keep getting better.
“We always ask ourselves how can we help the boys and girls who are coming to the City Football Schools? With talent, we need to keep it alive; so how can we try and give them the training they need?
“If we manage to do that, get them to that level of talent, then I see no reason why in the next 10 to 15 years we won’t have a special talent playing for our first team. That would be a fantastic story.”
