Doing it the Liverpool way

Liverpool academy coach Ben Parsonage has trained young football talent from England to Egypt to Indonesia over the past three years.

While he had no illusions about the differing standards between Merseyside and Singapore, the one thing that stood out for him here, was the "fantastic attitude" of the kids.

Parsonage, 23, along with academy coaches Billy Flynn and Dan Gavin, are in town for two weeks for the launch of the Courts and Liverpool Football Academy 2013.

Taking place at Jurongville Secondary School from Nov 18 to 29, the academy will host clinics for youths (aged between 13 and 18) as well as S-League side, the Courts Young Lions.

"In my job, I've met groups of young sters with mixed ability, and the attitude shown from the kids here really stands out," said Parsonage, who conducted a session with athletes from the Special Olympics Singapore on Friday.

"It was heartening to see the kids try and get the most out of the session. "For us coaches, that's most important - to leave something behind.

EXPERIENCE

"The sessions we host are just like the ones back in Liverpool, so we hope the youngsters realise it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

For 18-year-old Salbiah Zakaria, the six-hour session on Friday was the best footballing experience she has ever had. The Delta Senior School student, who is a Liverpool fan, said she especially enjoyed the dribbling and shooting drills.

"The best part of the day for me was when I scored a goal during the two-sided game," she said.

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