Talented footballers earn their chance

Marlborough Football’s talent base continues to grow with news that five players, who were part of the 2020 Tasman Football Academy, have been selected for a Tasman/Nelson regional talent identification two-day camp in Nelson during late February.

The camp will feature input from New Zealand under-17 coaches Aaron Clapham and Martin Bullock and is being organised by Mainland Football.

It provided an opportunity for the top of the south players to show their skills before selection for the 2021 Regional Talent Camps takes place, said Scott Kennovin, head coach of the recently-formed Marlborough Football Academy.

“[This camp] is new thing this season. It will give our lads a really good chance to be coached by the national team coaches … they have been part of the Tasman Academy and have regularly played at tournaments and camps with the other boys [who have been invited to the camp] so will easily be able to keep up with those guys from Nelson.”

The players, who all represented Marlborough last season, are: Blake Fitzgerald, Rico Chen, Fynn Hawes, plus twins Josh and Liam Clamp. Rico and Fynn are 15

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grade players this year, the Clamp brothers 17

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grade.

Liam Clamp was excited by the chance to show his skills at a higher level.

“It looks like it will be a good experience, to get noticed by some people in the higher ranks of New Zealand Football. I have been working hard for a while to get a chance like this.

“I expect the standard to be high, with some strong competition,” he added.