How old were you when you first started playing, who taught you to play and who most influenced your development as a young player?
I was about six years old when I started playing. My dad has taught me everything I know about soccer and I still learn a lot from him every day.
What's been the single best moment of your soccer career thus far, at any level of competition?
I think the best moment would be a game in Spain with the U-15 National team. I played one of my best games and I scored two goals against Athletico Madrid.
What are your long-term goals in the sport?
My goal and dream has always been to play pro.
What has been the most valuable aspect of being trained by the Academy coaches?
I like that they tell us everything that we do wrong but also they tell us when we do things right. As a player it feels good to know that you're doing things right which gives us more motivation to keep working.
What has training with the Academy taught you about yourself as a player and where do you need improvement?
They have taught me to play quicker off the ball and because of that I get the ball more. Training with the Academy has improved a lot of my one-touch, two-touch part of the game.
What is the most difficult part of training with the Academy?
I think the most difficult part is the end of training because it always seems like we work so hard and play for like 10 minutes. I'd say that having little playing time is hard.
Does the training differ from past training you've had, and in what way?
I think we focus more on possession games and on my past teams we would train more to goal and how to create chances.
Which of your Academy teammates impresses you the most and why?
I'm impressed by Gio because I haven't seen any player like him. He brings energy to training and at times when I feel tired or I don't have energy, looking at him motivates me to do better.
Which of the other U-16 or U-18 Academy players impresses you and why?
Connor Holloway because he plays simple and knows what the team needs from him. |
