The Academy recently had the privilege of working with the South Asian community to attend the Premier League Emerging Talent National Tournament.
The initiative started back in June when the Premier League contacted football clubs to promote emerging talent within the South Asian community.
We responded and reached out to the South Asian Community, specifically Amjid Khazir, who contacted the local mosques and rallied around the parents to enlist a group of youngsters to represent the club at the tournament.
In July the young group of players were invited into the MFC Training Ground with their parents where Barry Dawson explained the Premier League Initiative in a little more detail. Simon James and Toumani Diagouraga delivered a football coaching session with the boys to get them ready for the upcoming tournament.
The parents and players met at the Riverside Stadium a week later accompanied by Academy staff Simon (tour lead), Toumani (Lead Coach) and Emily Wenzel (Academy Physiotherapist) and travelled to Loughborough University stadium.
Both U10 and U11 age categories featured excellent football teams in their heats including West Ham United, Brentford, Leeds, Leicester and Braford.
The standard of football from both age groups was excellent, and the attitude and work rate shown by the Middlesbrough Football Academy players was outstanding. Unfortunately the other clubs technical abilities shone.
Each of the players and parents that attending the tournament represented MFC in a very good light and all the boys received a Premier League medal for participation. Overall, all the players and parents had a great time and to quote one of the players, “bring on next year!”