Young football player set for greatness

A STAR College learner is a soccer star in the making. Seven-year-old Ezra Naicker is set for world class football as he shows attributes of becoming a professional soccer player. Discovered by his head coach, Jeremy Peters, with the support of his parents, Ezra is set to be the star of the future.

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Speaking to the Highway Mail, Ezra’s mother, Nicki Naicker, said she spotted her son’s talent when he was as young as one.
“Whenever his older cousins came over, he would play along with him. He had this ability to fiddle and control the ball, and you could see the passion and commitment. He started playing for a soccer club at the age of two years, and he was also part of other sporting programmes,” explained Ezra’s mother.

Today, Ezra is enrolled in two soccer facilities, one of them being Grasshopper International Development Programme and the other a local club. The international programme is aimed to help young boys and girls nurture and enhance their motor skills and learn how to become their best version.

Ezra’s head coach, Peters, said they discovered Ezra’s talent at one of their camps a year ago.
“From that camp, we enrolled him in our programmes where we got to know him better and understood his skill development. He has strength in playing midfielder – he’s got strong capability to defend and attack. with a strong mindset of understanding the game, with passion,” he said.

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Jeremy said that where Ezra is headed with his talent, he sees him in the South African Football Association squad by his teenage years.

Jeremy highlighted the importance of skill development. “These types of programmes are aimed to invest in children and their talents so they reach their full potential,” he said.

The Star College learner said he enjoys playing soccer, and he hopes to play for the national team one day. He said his role model is international football player Christiano Ronaldo.

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