The Liverpool Academy comes to UJ

Enthusiastic young boys play for the Liverpool International Academy South Africa at the University of Johannesburg to prove themselves on an international level.

Players from six to 18 years old can join the academy which was started earlier this year in Johannesburg and is a direct link to the Liverpool Football Club. All the age groups go through a three month assessment and out of the three academies in Joburg, Durban and Cape Town, 30 good players are chosen to go play other Liverpool academies overseas. When playing overseas, the players are assessed, and if the coaches see talent they keep the players and train them.

“This is a direct feeding system into the Liverpool Football Club,” said the Liverpool International Academy South Africa development executive, Sharan Singh. He said some of the Liverpool FC players went through the academy, such as the former captain of Liverpool and England, Steven Gerrard. Singh said that the coaching curriculum at the academy is based on international standards. The players train twice a week and they come from all around Gauteng.

Head coach of the academy Lee Edwards said that they are planning to start a girl’s team in September as there has been a high interest. “My vision for the players is to teach them discipline, teach them the Liverpool way of playing, to develop them into good players and good individuals,” said Singh.

A player in the academy, Mediator Mnkandla (18) who is technical financial accounting student, said that he was scouted to come to play for the academy. Mnkandla started playing soccer when he was eight years old and said that he is working hard to get selected to play overseas. “The training is very intensive and it has developed me as a player. My goal is to play overseas and hopefully to be recognised there,” he said.

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