The story appears on

Page B5

September 29, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeFeatureEducation

WISS, Stoke City partner up for football training

amateur footballers from Western International School of Shanghai will be coached by professional youth team coaches from the English Premier League, thanks to a cooperative program between the school and Stoke City FC.

The program was initiated by Stephen Walker, director of sports at WISS, and Angela Smith, international ambassador of Stoke City, in 2012. Its aims are to train young talent in China, send them to domestic and international competitions and find young stars for the club.

This year, three professional coaches, including Peter Smith, who holds the highest qualification for European professional football coaches, will stay in China for the program for one whole year, coaching more than 100 international students at WISS. Outstanding players will be sent to Stoke City鈥檚 training base in England. Meanwhile, coaches will also train about 100 to 200 Chinese children from neighboring Xujing Primary School on a weekly basis.

Peter started his career as an academy player at Liverpool FC. After his retirement as a player, he became an academy coach for Liverpool, working with club legend Kenny Dalglish and current manager Brendan Rodgers. Before joining the Stoke City program at WISS, he led the Mosta FC in the Maltese Premier League as manager last season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 my first time in China and Shanghai, and I鈥檓 proud to be a part of the program,鈥 said Peter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting to have Peter with us because you can鈥檛 get a better coach than him to train the children,鈥 said Angela.

鈥淭he whole level of Chinese football will be greatly improved if we can get more coaches of this standard for young ages.鈥


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend