Liverpool Under-18 Coach relishes Vincentian experience

Coach of the famed English Football Club Liverpool Under-18 Academy team Mike Marsh said that he and his charges have relished their experience here.{{more}}

Marsh, the man in charge of Liverpool’s developmental team, which was here on their second visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines, told SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday at the Buccament Bay Resort that it was not just a holiday for sightseeing.

“We did not come here just to see the island; every game Liverpool plays is a tough game and each game is meaningful and we play to win,” Marsh said, in reference to the off match played last Wednesday against the St Vincent and the Grenadines Under-20 team.

Marsh said that his team specially prepared for the match, in order to combat the heat.

“The ten days leading up to coming here, we did a lot of possession stuff, so in the match, we tried to keep the ball, not having to do any chasing unless it was absolutely necessary,” Marsh revealed.

“It was different experience for the boys, for where we are in the UK, we do not experience these types of conditions, because when it is hot it’s the off-season,” Marsh added.

Marsh, who is on his first trip to St Vincent and the Grenadines, expressed that there is a lot of Football talent here, but it is difficult to manage, since there are not many players to choose from.

Marsh made his observation as he was overseeing a training session last Saturday morning, with about forty young footballers drawn from the Buccament Bay Secondary School, the Du Bois Government, the Clare Valley Government and the Questelles Government at the Astro Turf facility at the Buccament Bay Resort.

“Obviously there is talent, there are some technical and tactical gifted players as you see this morning, but you do not have a lot of players to choose from, so you have to be very selective,” Marsh concluded.

The training session with the schools that form part of the local Liverpool Football Academy, which operates out of the Buccament Bay Resort, was the last on the itinerary of the Liverpool Under-18 team’s visit.

Last Thursday, four schools, the Kingstown Anglican, the St Mary’s R C, the St Martin’s Secondary and the Bishop’s College Kingstown, were visited by the Liverpool players and hosted an autograph session.

Additionally, a one-hour session with students from the four schools, was held at the Victoria Park.

And, as part of the club’s outreach, the most outstanding players in the sessions were given samples of Liverpool’s merchandise.

The Liverpool Under-18 opened their tour last Wednesday with a 3-1 defeat of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Under-20 team at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. (RT)