September 5 marks the start of another busy season for Arsenal Soccer School, who have become one of the top football academies in the UAE since opening in October 2009.
It’s no surprise considering it’s based on the same coaching philosophy used by first-team coach Arsene Wenger that has resulted in some fine goals at the Emirates Stadium and on their travels.
If you want to see why it’s highly regarded, places are still available. Budding footballers aged between four and 20 will get the chance to learn and develop their skills at the state-of-the-art facilities at The Sevens.
Under the guidance of the clubs’ qualified coaches, the 12-week courses will see them improve on all aspects of their game.
“The players will be doing a lot of technical stuff on the ball,” said head coach and former Gunners striker Ian Selley, who made over 60 appearances winning the 1993 League Cup and 1994 European Cup Winners Cup in north London.
“In the first two weeks, we’ll assess the standard of the players and see what they need to improve on and expose them to different styles of football.
“It’s not all about training, we like to mix it up and there are a lot of leagues and tournaments lined up so they can put what they practised in match situations. We also have a goalkeeping course for those who are goalies.”
First-team stars Ozil and Danny Welbeck are among the Gunners who have travelled to Dubai to share their tips, and there will be more opportunities to meet some of the club’s elite players.
“We usually have two or three players come during the season and it’s a chance for the kids to meet and train with them,” he said. “It’s great for the kids to see them live in person and we’re very lucky to have this as no other academy in Dubai can do that.”
Courses start from Dh2,190 and run in different age groups with players able to attend once, twice or three times a week.
Included in the fee, each player receives a full Arsenal Puma training kit that they can wear during classes – held weekday evenings and Friday and Saturday mornings.
With a few days to go until the start of the new term, Selley said there are plenty of reasons to join.
“It’s a good way to getting the kids involved in football from a young age and the facilities at The Sevens are the best in Dubai,” he said. “This course is quite a tough but gets them playing football straightaway. We follow the same modules that they do in the UK and we find very quickly the social players improve.”
What: Arsenal Soccer School Dubai
Where: The Sevens, Dubai
When: New term starts from September 5
Contact: For more information or to register, visit www.playthearsenalway.com/dubai.
