Weipa’s Archie Thomas, who is heading to the UK to participate in a soccer trial, shows off some of his fancy footwork in the indoor version of the game during last year’s FNQ Futsal Titles in Cairns. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
Another member of Weipa’s junior soccer talent pool says he cannot wait to combine playing and watching the game as he packs his passport for a United Kingdom adventure.
Weipa Junior Soccer Club member Archie Thomas, 10, will jet out of Weipa next month for a family holiday that will also have him lacing up his boots at a trial in front of 30 scouts from professional leagues in the UK.
The trial will be held in South London at the Cray Wanderers Football Club and Archie said he was excited to be testing his skills in a much higher level of competition with the scouts watching on.
“I’m pretty excited but also a bit nervous,” he said.
“It will be a lot different and more difficult than playing in Weipa or Cairns.”
Archie’s father, Jamie Thomas, who has been driving the sport’s resurgence on western Cape York, said the trial opportunity arose by keeping a keen eye on social media, and added it would help the 10-year-old develop his skills and confidence on the pitch.
“The trip to the UK is to see family, but with a big side focus on football and giving my boys the full experience of the best league in the world,” he said.
“The trial came about by me constantly looking for these opportunities and experiences, plus my social media feed is football, football, football.
“Being seen by 30 scouts from the premiership down to the lower professional leagues will be a huge boost for Archie; exposure at these trials will give him the confidence to attend more in the future, and he may be asked to trial at a professional club.”
With the ultimate goal of becoming a professional footballer, Archie said another highlight of the trip would be watching Manchester United run onto the pitch in front of a full house of passionate Red Devils fans.
“I’d like to make it at the professional level, hopefully,” he said.
Archie’s looming trial comes on the back of fellow Weipa player Jack King heading to Europe to train with Spanish club Celta de Vigo, something Mr Thomas said highlighted the depth of soccer talent on western Cape York.
“There is an amazing pool of talent, and I’m working with some of these kids at the moment to prepare them for tournaments near the end of the year,” he said.
