Liverpool FC-DSK could develop players for U-17 World Cup

NEW DELHI: In an initiative which might help India's chances when the country hosts the under-17 World Cup, the Liverpool Football Academy-DSK Shivajians academy has offered to groom Indian players for the mega-event and beyond.

DSK Shivajians had tied up with the world famous English club to start a residential international football academy near Pune, for which a talent hunt programme is on.

"You are hosting the Under-17 World Cup so what we can also do is help develop some of the younger players for the event," said Liverpool Youth Academy's head coach Ray Curtis.

India are hosting the under-17 World Cup as part of FIFA's developmental programme.

Curtis and fellow Liverpool academy coach Michael William Rice have already conducted scouting programmes in Mizoram, Shillong and Goa before coming to Delhi, following which they headed to Mumbai.

"We have seen over 1600 players and the boys are doing very well. Everyone has talent, athleticism, enthusiasm and commitment everything is all there. The need of the hour is to utilise the available talent pool properly. We hope to leave a long-term legacy and this is not a quick-fix solution," Curtis said.

The shortlisted players will participate in a final round which will be held in Pune to form the first batch of students to be trained at the academy.

A total of 64 boys would be picked for the academy. "Our biggest objective is to develop players for future. We thought the right step will be to build a sustainable model for football club in India, that could be the first stop to build the academy which can be a supply line for players," said DSK Shivajians CEO Ardeshir Jeejeebhoy.

Curtis further said, "This not a short-term project and it is very similar to the one we have in our academy back in England."

The first edition of multi-city scouting is aimed at short-listing the best players to form two groups of Under-17 (Born on or between 31st May 1998 and 1st June 1999) and Under-19 (Born on or between 31st May 1996 and 1st June 1997) whose skills will be honed at the academy.

Depending on economic criteria, it will give scholarships to 10 talented players each in the two age groups.