Seven Dubai schoolboys from E-Sport Football Academy are having trials at two of the top universities in the United States – Stanford in California and Northwestern in Illinois.
The goal is the potential to earn scholarships two or three years down the line and a possible professional career.
“I’ve always wanted to go to college in the US,” said Alex Hupe, the team’s 14-year-old French-American captain.
“I’ve spent a lot of time there and I have an idea of what it’s like, but I can always keep learning. This year for me is not so much about getting seen, it’s more about getting to know the level so that the next year I’ll be at 100 per cent, and I’ll know what to expect.”
It is an eclectic group of players. There is Colombian midfielder Simon Galviz, Hammam Abdelrazig, the Sudanese-British left winger who looks up to Neymar, and modest Scotsman Jack Manson.
Hupe, who has been at E-Sports since the age of nine, started off at left midfield but a growth spurt prompted his coach Terry Kidd to move him to centre-half.
He draws inspiration from Spain World Cup winner Sergio Ramos. “Playing centre-back is a challenge, not so much physically, but mentally,” he said.
“You cannot make any mistakes. That’s what I find the hardest thing, you need to stay focused and keep your head throughout the game.
“As a striker you can miss seven opportunities, score one and win the game. As a defender, I feel we are under appreciated.”
Hupe speaks with a maturity and intelligence that is matched by the rest of his teammates. E-Sports have placed a lot of importance on ensuring excellence on the pitch is matched in the classroom.
“I’ve been trying to work harder on my studies so I can get somewhere,” said Omar Srour, 14, of Egypt. “It’s like 50 per cent football, 50 per cent studies so I have to do well at both to succeed.
“ I’m giving it equal time.”
Over the past two months, the group have stepped up their physical work at FitRepublik in Dubai Sports City, with up to eight sessions a week.
Left-back Srour, 14, is ready for the challenges ahead.
“I’m very excited for this trip, if I show what I can do maybe in a year’s time I can get into a good university,” he said.
“It’s a nice group of guys, we train as a team and we’ve really bonded. These guys are more like family than a team.”
One member of the squad has a particularly busy summer ahead, and not just on the pitch.
On his return from the US, 14-year-old right-back Ryan Versi will set off for a summer camp at the well-known graduate business school Insead in France.
The British-Canadian, originally from Pakistan, is one of only 15 students globally invited to the programme and Kidd calls him “a future leader”.
“When I first started I couldn’t play a full game, but now I’ve come along,” said Versi, who only joined E-Sports in December. “A player can stand out from the rest technically, but in terms of physicality anyone can build themselves up, and it can give you an edge.”
Versi settled in quickly, as did fellow newbie central midfielder Jordan Reid, 16, from England.
“I just joined in December,” said Reid, who is from Wellington Silicon School. “All the lads have made me feel welcome. We went on a trip to Holland and we all got on really well.”
The American adventure could shape the future of these student athletes, but it holds little fears for them.
“We want to know what the US is like and what style of football they play there, and, most importantly, try to get to college,” Reid said. “It’s everyone’s dream to become a professional footballer, that would be amazing. I always dreamed about living in the US, being away from home would not be an issue.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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