Junior footballer aiming for the stars

Camden Schaper has stardom written on his face. The confidence this 10-year-old SuperSport United (SSU) Junior Academy ace exudes is a testament that he is destined for greatness.

He captained the junior academy u-11 team on its successful tour of Spain in December.
The team did not lose a single match in regular time. The only loss coming from a penalty shootout in its final group game.

Because of his dazzling displays in the tournament, Schaper was invited to a two-day training session with the Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon.

“Camden impressed with his quality. We have opened the door with Sporting Lisbon who has requested regular progress reports to monitor his development,” said Schaper’s father, Jody.

When he is on the field, Schaper makes football look easy. The ease with which he demands the ball from his teammates or the darting runs he makes to the final third to make his team play prove why he is such an attraction.

“When he is not training with his teammates at the academy, you will find him at home doing drills to improve his skills. Schaper’s technical ability surpasses that of most 10-year-olds. His hard work is the reason he is attracting attention from abroad,” added Jody.

This year is his crowing year. Schaper has been promoted to the u-13 team and this is a big step for him.
His father, however, seems unfazed as he points out that ability and not age should be the criteria to assess a player’s readiness.

“At SSU, they assess players by ability. That’s why Camden is moving to the u-13s. They are doing such an incredible job with the children that when they went to Europe, they were able to compete against clubs with better facilities.”

In 2019, the then eight-year-old received an opportunity to train with an assessment centre in Manchester, England. While there, he grabbed the attention of Manchester United scouts and he was invited to train in their academy.

“He did so well while training with Manchester United that he was invited back for a six-week training assessment in April 2020.
“However, due to Covid19 and the subsequent lockdowns, we couldn’t go. United coaches did organise him some online training sessions during the lockdown period.”

Because of the training, Schaper is exposed to at the SSU junior academy and the knowledge he has acquired in Manchester and Lisbon, Jody believes his son is ready for the next chapter of his career.

“He is ahead of his time. His tactical and technical acumen are by far the best I have seen in a 10-year-old.

“The plan for the year ahead is to go to Europe three to four times where he has been invited to train and he will represent SuperSport United Academy locally while he is in South Africa.

“We have big doors that are open for him overseas so that’s where we want to be so he can develop to his full potential.”

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