Some of the UAE’s most talented young footballers will be given the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend when professional clubs from the UK, and blue-ribband US Universities roll into town as part of City FC’s ‘Dubai Football Showcase’.
Carl Robson, Head of Academy Recruitment at Premier League side Bournemouth, Andy Livingston, Head of Recruitment at Preston North End, and former Aberdeen star Neil Simpson, who is Head of the Youth Academy at the SPL club, will run the rule over dozens of aspiring young footballers during the course of the intensive three-day showcase.
In addition to the participation of professional clubs from the UK, Charles Rodriguez, Assistant Head Coach at Yale, Stewart Flaherty, Assistant Head Coach at Dartmouth and Chris Whalley, Head Coach at the Chowan University Hawks, will also be looking to recruit players to join their prestigious scholarships programs in the United States.
Due to the influx of ex-pats in the UAE, professional clubs are tapping into the market here in the Middle East, in an effort to unearth hidden gems.
The coaches will provide young players with a unique insight into what life will be like, either as a full-time pro in the UK, or on a scholarship program in the US.
Throughout the weekend, the coaches in attendance will be delivering training sessions, highlighting the importance of activation and recovery sessions – and how they use video analysis to enhance the tactical and game awareness of its players.
The participation from both the professional clubs in the UK, and US Colleges, perfectly complements the mission statement of City FC, which is to create ‘real pathways’ and ‘real exposure’ for players desperate to carve out a career in professional football.
Director of Football at City FC, Terry Kidd explains in more detail the concept of the ‘Dubai Football Showcase’.
“Our primary objective at City FC is to foster an environment that allows talented young players here in the UAE, to pursue their dreams of playing professional football at a high level, whether that be in the parameters of the professional pyramid in the UK, or in the hugely competitive sphere of US Colleges football,” said Kidd.
Under the direction of Kidd, City FC have enjoyed remarkable success since its inception in 2017 – and forged a reputation for themselves as the go-to Academy for young players looking for an opportunity to play professional football overseas.
“We’ve been working very hard to develop partnerships with professional clubs in the UK over the last number of years, and we’re absolutely delighted that Aberdeen, Bournemouth and Preston North End are participating in our showcase weekend here in Dubai,” said Kidd.
“It’s a testament to the success of the Academy that we’ve managed to attract such high-quality personnel to attend the weekend.”
Last year, three City FC Academy graduates secured professional contracts in the UK, with two players putting pen to paper with League Two side Mansfield Town and one player with League One side Bolton Wanderers.
However, as a former professional footballer, Kidd is all too aware of the cut-throat nature of the business – and is one of the reasons why he is such a passionate advocate of players taking the option of going to the US, to combine professional football with education.
“Football is a brutal business and you see a lot of players at 18 years of age that have been released by clubs becoming completely disillusioned with the game and have zero qualifications. It’s important to have the right balance and the US colleges model provides this,” said Kidd.
David Weir was one of Scotland’s best ever players, but he didn’t make his debut in the Scottish top-flight until he was 22, as he was on a scholarship in the US, so the perception that you have to be signed with a professional club at 16 is outdated and becoming obsolete.”
Another illustration of City FC’s success is it also has a first team competing in the newly formed UAE Professional 2nd Division, which was formed in November by the UAE FA.
“This provides another pathway for young players who may not get an opportunity to go to the UK or the US, to play professional football in the UAE. It’s an exciting time for us at City, and as I mentioned above, we want to create real pathways and provide real exposure for our players and we believe that the Dubai Showcase Weekend will deliver on those goals,” Kidd said.
