Twenty-two youngsters from the first batch of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs are set to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to England where they will take on the under-12 and under-13 teams of top English clubs like Southampton, Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Reading, Aston Villa and Liverpool during the course of their stay in England.This initiative by Reliance Foundation in association with Visit Britain and the Premier League aims at not just helping the young champs develop their game but also offers them a unique platform by exposing them to a level of competition and talent like never before. The youngsters will spend a total of 11 days on the shores of England, starting with their arrival at London airport on May 12 and ending with their departure from Manchester airport on May 23.Following their arrival in London on May 12, the youngsters will be transferred to their hotel where they will have some free time to acclimatise to the conditions before visiting the 2014-15 Premier League champions Chelsea FC’s academy the next day. The young champs will have the opportunity to train at Chelsea FC’s academy and will be a part of a presentation ceremony as well as a tour of their academy.May 14 will see the young champs get their first taste of action on English soil when their under-12 and under-13 teams take on Crystal Palace’s under-12 and under-13 sides in competitive 11-a-side and 9-a-side matches at Crystal Palace’s academy in London. The talented kids are then scheduled to travel to Southampton where they will be a part of the Southampton FC Academy tournament that will also feature the likes of Southampton and Reading.Shortly after the conclusion of the tournament, the young champs will move to Southampton’s home stadium - St. Mary’s - where they will experience their first ever premier league match from the crowd as Southampton host Crystal Palace on May 15 in what will be their last fixture of the 2015-16 season.The gifted kids will be given a break from the football on May 16 as they travel to the Premier League headquarters by tube. Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore will meet the young champs at the headquarters for a meet-and-greet session, following which they will attend a fun-and-educational session. They will also be granted the opportunity to pose with the Premier League trophy during their visit to the headquarters. Visit Britain have also organised a sight-seeing tour of London for the young champs on May 16 before they depart for the West Midlands the following day.After their arrival in the West Midlands on May 17, the young champs will spend the next two days in West Bromwich Albion’s Academy and Community Department. They will attend a training session with coaches from West Bromwich Albion’s academy and also receive a tour of the academy on May 18 before travelling to West Brom’s community department on May 19 for a team building experience and a short video presentation of the foundation’s work.The young champs then will travel to Manchester on May 20. After a bit of free-time following their arrival, the talented kids will report to two-time Premier League winners Manchester City’s academy for an 11-a-side encounter against the academy products from the blue side of Manchester. The next day will see them pay a visit to the red half of Manchester as they travel to 13-time premier league champions Manchester United for a tour of their iconic stadium, Old Trafford.The young champs’ stay in England ends with a visit to five-time UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool, where they will be one of three teams taking part in the Liverpool FC tournament with the other two teams from Liverpool and Aston Villa. A possible tour of Liverpool FC’s home ground, Anfield is also on the cards before they return to Manchester for their scheduled departure from England on May 23.Head coach of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs programme Mark Vaessen labelled this trip as a “unique opportunity”. “It’s a unique opportunity to go to a foreign country as it’s the first time they’ll travel abroad and for us it is a massive point to see where we are as regards development,” he said.Vaessen also added that the trip could turn out to be an “eye-opener” for many of the youngsters from the Reliance Foundation Young Champs. “This trip will be an eye-opener for some players who think, they’re already there! As they will witness a lot of talent in England, they will understand the need to work harder to reach that level. It will be a life-changing experience not only for the players, but for me and the staff as well,’’ said Vaessen.The youngsters set to travel to England also seemed to mirror the enthusiasm and excitement of their coach. One talented scholar said: “It’s a life-time experience and for a lot of kids, it’s a dream to play in the Premier league so this is a great opportunity to see the level of football played there.”
