Young keeper hopes to represent country
She won the Old Bens junior goalkeeper of the season award following a good season where she scored a goal and landed four assists.
She’s unrivalled between the sticks.
This is how Old Bens U12 coach, Daniel Dyson, described the club’s junior goalkeeper of the season Skyla Coutinho.
“She saved our season big time. We would have lost a lot more points without her,” Dyson said.
The 12-year-old is a modern goalkeeper. She scores goals and spreads passes that lead to goals for her team.
She’s surpassed all the limitations placed on keepers that they should be confined to the 18-yard area.
“She dummies guys at the back where she would have played short but instead moves across and plays long and then plays it to somebody down the wing,” added Dyson.
The Farrarmere Primary School learner became a goalkeeper after watching her brother in goals and thought she could become a goalie too.
“The best thing about goalkeeping is knowing that if I play well and make good saves, my team then has a good chance of winning the game,” she said.
Also Read: Flawless Old Bens thrash Northerns
Inspired by Manchester United’s David de Gea, she hopes to one day emulate the Red Devils’ number one.
“He inspires children like me to work hard and to chase their dreams. One day I could make saves like him,” she said.
She’s been honing her skills at Old Bens for the past two years. Her heroics between the sticks have already attracted the attention of several clubs including Hollywoodbets Super League side JVW FC.
“My dream is to play in Europe as well as to represent my country.”
Dyson raved about how Skyla’s communication with her defenders kept the backline organised and how her reading of the game won them many matches.
“From talking to making saves, she’s fantastic. She marshals my defence and plays out from the back and knocks it long.
“She scored a goal from her own box and ended with four assists for the season. She also created many chances from her position,” added Dyson.
Already a thorn in her team’s opponents, Dyson was always inundated with compliments on the U12s player of the season’s brilliance between the posts.
“When I prepared my line-up for our weekend games, coaches often joked that as long as she wasn’t on the line-up, it was game on. Or they would come to me after the game and ask where we found such a good goalkeeper.”
Also Read: Fun-filled day as Old Bens celebrates 75th anniversary
