Manny’s the man!

Manny Duran collects his Footballer of the Week certificate from Cayman Sports Buzz Editor Ben Meade (L) and Futbolista World Manager Celso Montoya (R).

It was quite the week for young Manny Duran. With school out for the midterm break from 27 February to 3 March, the 11-year-old joined other young footballers playing the game they love while improving their skills under the watchful eyes of a coach from a professional English club.

They spent their days at the Excel Sports Management Ipswich Town Camp, which featured the club’s Recruitment Coordinator and Elite Under-13 Coach, Phil Beale.

“It was fun. It was a good opportunity to meet an international coach and learn different skills,” young Manny told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

Manny impressed coaches to the point that when we asked about players who stood out, his name was top of mind. He was one of three players selected for a chance to train at the Ipswich Town Academy this July, along with Jackson Kirkconnell and Corey Smith. It’s the second year in a row that he gets to make the trip, having travelled as part of a group last year.

Like the others, Beale said Manny showed good technical ability, good tactical understanding, good character, and a willingness to listen and learn. His skill with the ball was still being talked about as the camp wrapped up.

 

“I feel pretty good about the way I played,” he said. “I feel excited to go back to Ipswich and I hope that I could get signed with the club.”

Adding to this, the young Academy SC player was on Saturday, 5 March, named the Cayman Sports Buzz Footballer of the Week presented by Futbolista World.

Manny was presented with a certificate, a Futbolista World sports shirt, and a gift certificate to be used toward new gear at Futbolista World. He has also been entered into a draw to win an additional prize from Futbolista World at the end of the season.

Each week, Cayman Sports Buzz will select a player for the Footballer of the Week honour based on their performance in any of the following leagues: Cayman Premier League, CIFA Women’s Premier League, CIFA First Division, CIFA youth leagues and the CUC Primary Football League/Girls Primary Football League.

At the end of the season, Cayman Sports Buzz will be presenting a more substantial award to the Footballer of the Year.

About Artiem Solutions and Cayman Sports Buzz:

Artiem Solutions is a 100% Caymanian-owned boutique communication consultancy firm launched in the first quarter of 2016. In August, the company launched Cayman Sports Buzz, a website dedicated to the exclusive coverage of local sports in the Cayman Islands.

 About Futbolista World:

Located on the island of Grand Cayman, Futbolista World specializes in selling authentic high quality football merchandise and providing excellent customer service. Our store provides players, coaches and fans with the latest authentic football gear from top brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and more. Our aim is to inform and inspire others by promoting our passion for football and offer quality merchandise at affordable prices.

 

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