32 young Filipino footballers make the cut for Manchester United camp

From hundreds of aspirants from all over the Philippines, 32 booters were chosen to participate in Manchester United's three-day camp which starts on April 23 at the University of Makati football grounds.

The best eight players from each tryouts venue in the NCR, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao will join the camp to be headed by coaches from the English Premiere League club. The lads were introduced to media present on Tuesday.
 

The best six camp participants will play at the third Clear Dream Match in June, which will highlighted by the participation of Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Andy Cole.

"As we say at all Manchester United soccer schools, the three core traits of a successful team are that you work hard, you work together, and most importantly that you believe in yourselves," said Manchester United Soccer School coach Jamie Fitzpatrick, who came to Manila with coach Kevin O’Donnell. "I'm sure the young 32 boys will do them three things over the next three days."

"I feel lucky na out of 60 plus from Manila, napili ako," said Ace Villanueva, goalkeeper of UAAP Season 76 men's football first runner-up University of the Philippines. "Maraming nag-tryout and marami din akong naka-kompetensiya and hindi siya ganoon kadali na makuha sa top eight, so nagulat lang ako na may nag-call up sa akin na I made it."

De La Salle University and UFL side Green Archers United coach Hans Smith, one of the UFL coaches who facilitated the tryouts, said that the level of difficulty was set high to help the best young players available emerge.

"Hindi tayo mapapahiya sa 32 na napili," Smith told media present.

With participants from nearby provinces trooping to the tryout centers, Smith said that they were able to encounter deserving players who need support. One of them is Lawrence Baguio from Cebu, one of the three exemptions from the tryout's minimum age rule.

"We didn't know na from start to finish, yung shin guards niya cardboard na naka-masking tape," said the coach about the 16-year-old leftie striker. "He helps down in defense and when his teammates gets the ball, taas agad."

When Baguio got through the tryouts, the UFL coaches pledged to get him proper gear. "Binibiro ko iyan pero iyan ang mga dapat sinusuportahan,” Smith added.

For Smith, the football camp will be a big help for the 32 booters who will hopefully play their part as the future of Philippine football.

"We want to give these kinds of talents a chance." - AMD, GMA News