Ayoung local soccer player has had the trip of a lifetime after being given the opportunity to play soccer in the UK.
Bailey Vorwerk, who plays locally for International Soccer Club, travelled to England to play for the Global Football Network UK 15-16s Boys team.
The trip consisted of seven games against some of the country’s best academy teams like Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and many other EPL and EFL teams as well as a training session at Mick Clegg Seed of Speed Academy with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham having worked with Clegg in the past.
The side had three wins, one draw and three losses against the other academy teams with the coach of Vorwerk’s team a development coach at Manchester City.
During his time in the UK Vorwerk had stadium tours of Bolton Stadium home of Bolton Wanderers FC, Anfield Stadium home of Liverpool FC and also watched England play Greece at Wembley Stadium.
He also watched West Bromwich Albion play Middlesbrough where he and the others on the trip got to be flag bearers.
Vorwerk had not heard about the tryouts for the tour but was lucky enough to be spotted by another coach while playing in the select LCFA team at the State Championships in June who put his name forward to the person running the tour.
There were multiple businesses and individuals who helped Vorwerk fundraise through a GoFund Me and page direct donations for the trip as well as events including a bingo fundraiser that was well supported by the community and the club and International Soccer Club which did a great job at helping Vorwerk fundraise as well as sponsoring him.
Vorwerk said he enjoyed the opportunities offered to him during his trip.
“I loved playing and going up against different play styles of the opposing team and bonding with my team,” he said.
“I expected it to be very physical and very fast and skilled.”
Vorwerk thought the physicality of the play was the most challenging part of playing against non-Australian competition
“In most games it was like playing in our A Grade with the physicality of reserves, they were very fast and very physical,” he said.
Vorwerk took a lot of knowledge away from the experience which he said helped him understand what it takes to be a professional football player.
“To be an elite footballer you need to be fit both physically and mentally, and if you want to be an elite footballer you cannot shortcut anything in life not even brushing your teeth,” he said.
