Academy coach urges foreign players to remember their root

BY Femi Atolagbe
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Coach of Royal Gold Soccer Academy, Blessing Johnson has urged professional football players plying their trade abroad to always remember their grassroots teams (academy).

Johnson,who also doubles as Director of the academy,stated this during the unveiling of football equipment donated to Royal Gold Soccer Academy, by Victor Boniface, Nigeria U-20 player of Bodo/Glimt in Norway, in Akure.

The football equipment donated were balls,Jerseys and soccer boots.

The coach noted that the player started his playing career from the academy and was happy he is giving back to the team.

He noted that if other professional players, both home and abroad, were doing the same thing, football would be much more developed in the country.

“We are unveiling the equipments donated by one of our own playing abroad, so that we can continue to discover more talents to replace the ageing ones.

“I advise other players,to emulate what  Boniface is doing,  by giving back to where they started,” he said.

Responding, the Team Manager of the receiving team, Royal Gold Soccer Academy, Michael Adegbamigbe, who represented Boniface at the event, also urged other footballers who had achieved to give back to their grassroots team.

He said the team would be participating in a competition organised for grassroots teams in the state.

Boniface promised to continue to give back to teams at the grassroots level to help nurture hidden talents to stardom.