Young goalies catching the eye of pro scouts

Published 06 February 2012

The future of football in the Vale of Glamorgan is in safe hands, with specialist goalkeeper coaching sessions helping to put a group of young boys on the radar of professional clubs.

Gone are the days of goalkeepers being an after-thought. Instead, boys as young as seven are able to receive professional coaching in the sports barn at St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School in Barry every Wednesday between 5pm and 6pm.

Set up with support from the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s sports and play development team, Dinas Powys Football Club and the Welsh Football Trust, the sessions cover every aspect of goalkeeping, such as positioning, handling, communication, distribution and more.

The young stoppers who attend are grasping the opportunity with both hands, and their impressive progress during recent months hasn’t gone un-noticed. Several players have caught the eye of professional club scouts, with Newport County keeping tabs on nine-year-old Emilio Alvarez-Price, and Cardiff City tracking the talents of Will Hardy, Oliver Cooper and Iestyn Miller.

The boys are too young to be officially signed by the clubs, but all are either being closely monitored by the clubs or are attending training centres with them, depending on their ages.

Emilio Alvarez-Price doesn’t turn ten until later this month, and his father Eduardo said: “At Emilio’s age, the most important thing is that he enjoys playing his sport, and he really loves football. He likes throwing himself about between the sticks and making friends with the other boys. To have the opportunity to be coached at such a young age is absolutely fantastic.”

The coaching sessions were initially set up over a trial period last summer for children aged seven to 12, and their popularity has led to these weekly sessions in which qualified coaches Andy Davies and Ed Thomas are passing on their experience to instil fine goalkeeping instincts in the young players.

Ed, who also plays for Barry Town under 19s, said: “Goalkeeper coaching has been under valued for too long so it’s great to give the boys this chance to be coached from a young age and hopefully fulfil their potential. You can really see the progression that they have all made since they began attending the sessions.”

New recruits are always welcome at the coaching sessions, and a Half Term goalkeeping camp is also being held on the fields at Bryn-y-Don in Dinas Powys between 13th and 15th February.

To find out more, and to book your child’s place on the coaching camp please call Andy Davies on 07413 360504.