Academy invites students to recruitment events

By David Watters

Needham Market

Needham Market are holding their latest recruitment event for the Ryman North club’s growing academy at Bloomfields on Tuesday night.

Following the success of earlier events in February, the Marketmen are staging two more ‘open information evenings' this month for potential students hoping to join their Elite Player Development Programme next season.

Combining full-time coaching under the guidance of former professional footballers Kevin Horlock and Kemal Izzet with educational and vocational studies, potential students must be aged between 16 and 19 on August 1 2015 to be eligible.

The Marketmen are currently negotiating with educational providers to offer BTEC qualifications from next season and are hosting a second event at the Brantham Leisure Centre next Wednesday night (March 25).

A number of graduates led by current first team player Kieran Morphew have earned two year contracts with the club and NMFC Academy academy's director Andy Gould is looking forward to meeting potential students and their families at the two events.

He said: “The academy has recently expanded with the opening of the 'South' academy sited at the Brantham Athletic facility which offers lads in the Essex and Colchester areas this unique opportunity.

“These 'open information evenings' give the lads and their parents an ideal opportunity to determine if this extension to their educational and football development with Needham Market is something that they wish to pursue."

He added: "The fact that one Academy lad [Ace Howell] has recently been awarded a contract at Ipswich Town and four academy lads recently played for their U18s side against Crystal Palace shows that there are real opportunities for lads to use this as a stepping stone to a career in professional football.”

For more information visit: www.needhammarketfc.co.uk.

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