Anticipation is growing as Dubai prepares to host the Middle East’s first ever Football Talent Showcase.
Professional clubs from the UK and top US University teams will be attending the four-day event at Kings’ School Al Barsha at the start of February next year, and all will be looking to recruit the regions finest club, academy and school players.
City Football Club are hosting the event, and Showcase Director Terry Kidd is excited to give local talent the platform to shine:
“Dubai City have the experience and desire to create attainable pathways for the most well-rounded student athletes in the region,” he said. “The showcase will provide very detailed workshops and seminars on recruitment processing, player pathways and one-to-one evaluation sessions with showcase players.”
Amongst the clubs confirmed to be attending are Liverpool, Burnley, Stanford University and Dartmouth College, with the representatives from each team actively coaching the showcase players.
But Kidd says that City’s mission with the event goes far beyond simply offering a recruitment pathway for the most talented players.
He said: “In addition to the soccer component of the showcase, DCFC are fully committed to supporting all showcase participants as it relates to academic rigour; ensuring they can fulfil their athletic goals, but most importantly meet their academic potential through the marriage of elite soccer programming and academia.
“We truly believe that smarter students make better athletes and treat academics as a priority.”
There will be a dedicated SAT programming partner present at the showcase to deliver seminars and workshops on SAT testing strategies, standardised testing and bespoke student counselling:
“At the end of the showcase all student athletes will have a strong understanding of the academic expectations of where they want to be vis-à-vis where they currently are,” Kidd said. “They’ll have an action plan of how to improve and build their student athlete CV and how to draft future applications for their identified Universities or to further prepare for their first professional contract.
“We’re excited at the prospect of offering this incredible opportunity.”
Interested players are invited to sign up as individuals, but team discounts are available for groups looking to sign up.
The deadline for registering is December 13th, with the showcase taking place between February 7th and 10th.
For more information and details on signing up, email: terry.kidd@dubaicityfc.com