The 'special ones'

A select group of ‘special ones’ are preparing to fly off shortly for a week of intensive training with Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) coaches, courtesy of telecom company VIVA Bahrain’s partnership with the English Premiership giants.

More than 400 young players, boys and girls aged between12-15, took part in a series of matches on a Friday in April trying to impress UEFA-qualified, MUSS coaches flown into Bahrain from the UK.

The following day around 60 shortlisted youngsters underwent tough training sessions and the best 22 players won an all-expenses paid trip to United’s training ground in Carrington - the same place where the first team stars train.

All eyes of the football world are on FA Cup winners United who have appointed charismatic former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach Jose ‘The Special One’ Mourinho as manager and signed former Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to guide them to further domestic and European glory after a stuttering few years.

Some of Bahrain’s top young talent will be on the plane to the UK on Saturday and three 13-year-old British expats – Callum Dawson, Charlotte Pilgrim and Stan Szecowka – have also made it into the party.

They all attend St Christopher’s School and first started playing together during their primary school years at the Dilmun Club in Saar under former coach Lee Mack who now lives back home in Jersey.

He remembers the children well and this week said: “It’s great to hear they have been given the opportunity to experience the VIVA / Man United trip.

“As one of their past coaches it makes me feel very proud. As players, even at a very young age, they were extremely dedicated, at times participating in further sessions with the same passion and work-rate.

“They had the ability not only to ask questions but to listen to the answers given and, importantly, put things into practice both during training sessions as well as in competition.

“This is a superb chance for them to gain an insight into what it takes to become a professional player.

“The Dilmun team was a special group of players to coach, a group of teammates on the pitch and friends off it.”

Mack ended up coaching around 120 players between 2010-14, from the ages of three to 14, over six weekly sessions at the Dilly, and his teams regularly competed against other clubs on the island.

The football-mad trio loved and appreciated the time under Lee’s guidance. They have gone on to play for their school teams and other local sides and cannot wait for the trip to Manchester.

United fan Callum, whose favourite player is the club’s captain Wayne Rooney, said: “I was overwhelmed and extremely excited to have been chosen.”

His parents Giles and Ellie Dawson are both teachers at St Chris. “We’re very proud of Callum,” said dad, “and to make the final 22 is a huge accomplishment. Thank you to his coaches and teachers for helping to develop him as a football player.”

As well as The Dilly, the midfielder has played for Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain, Tekkers Football Academy and The Wanderers.

Charlotte, who also plays in midfield, went on to captain the school’s U11 and U13 teams and play for Tekkers Ladies and The Wanderers.

The Middlesbrough supporter said: “It’s amazing and I just want to get there and play my best football ever.”

Her dad, Andrew, is a risk engineer, and mum, Marie, a school librarian. “I am so pleased for her, she worked so hard and deserves this fantastic opportunity,” said mum.

Little Stan, the son of GulfWeekly’s editor, plays as a defender/wing back and was one of the first expats to play competitively for Bahrain Football League Club Al Najma and last week played for Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain in an international tournament in Spain. He also regularly turns out for The Globetrotters and wore his old ‘lucky’ Dilly shirt for the Man U trials at the Bahrain Football Association premises in Riffa as a token of his respect for Lee.

Mum, Kathryn, said: “He loves his football and as soon as he touched back down in Bahrain he was getting ready for Manchester!”

During the trip, the promising youngsters will undergo the same coaching as professional football players using state-of-the-art training equipment. They will be taught to learn ‘the tricks and secrets of legendary footballers’, the organisers promise.

The VIVA MUSS programme is one of several grassroots community-driven initiatives that has impressively grown since its inception. To date, it has benefitted 117 local youngsters from various cultural backgrounds through its exclusive partnership with the football club.

Ex-players help promote it and this year Manchester United’s Quinton Fortune attended the try-outs. The former South African World Cup star also signed autographs, chatted and had his photograph taken with the children.

A briefing session was recently held at VIVA Bahrain HQ in Seef for the travelling party and their parents. The squad of players currently consists of Ahmed Hasan Al Samak, Ahmed Mohamed Abdulla, Ammar Jaafer Abdulnabi, Aziz Ben Jemia, Dana Charafaldeen, Hamad Muhannad Fahmi Amin Hamad, Hasan Naser Buhasan, Sh. Hessa Al Khalifa, Mahmood Abdulredha Hassan, Noor Abdulaziz Bulaila, Salem Isa Al Doseri, Sayed Jawad Alawi, Sayyed Mahmood Mohsen, alongside Callum, Charlotte and Stan. The names of the other chosen children will be confirmed shortly.