The Illawarra Football Academy recently hosted English Premier League club West Ham United's Oceania Academy in a talent identification camp in Wollongong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The region's promising players had an opportunity to impress international and top professional coaches from West Ham's elite coaching staff.
Former Hammers professional Neil Orr and George Cowie, along with Derek Robinson - who coaches at the West Ham Academy in London - ran the two-day camp in conjunction with the Illawarra Football Academy, (IFA) who are an official partner of the West Ham Oceania Academy.
Orr played more than 600 professional games through the 1980s, including more than 180 for the Hammers.
Robinson has worked with West Ham since 2002 and Cowie is the ambassador and development manager for the West Ham Oceania Academy. The best local players from the camp will soon be invited to attend a national residential camp on the Gold Coast in September, with some players then invited to spend time at West Ham's Academy in London in April 2016.
The IFA is looking forward to a big summer and celebrating seven years of its summer programs, having launched junior comps plus new senior comps.
For more details contact Mark Tyssen or visit illawarrafootballacademy.com.au.