Freestyle graduate Twardek ready to show
FRANK LAMPARD dismissed Paul Pogba as nothing more than a ‘YouTube player’ recently, but Sligo Rovers’ new signing Kris Twardek had no problem at all posting his skills on the website growing up in Ottawa. Along with his older brother Will, the CzechCanadian siblings produced a series of their freestyling clips dating back almost a decade. With his shaggy blonde hair, enviable technique and varied collection of football jerseys — ranging from Real Madrid to the Republic of Ireland – Twardek can be seen doing keepie uppies in the snow, beside a lake and a bit closer to home in his back garden. At 16, after a spell with the Ottawa South United Academy, he left the plush surrounds of the Canadian capital and was signed by Millwall. The New Den is not a place for Fancy Dans. Tricks and flicks do not cut it in south-west London. This was real football and Twardek was thrown in at the deep end with the family he lived with in digs. ‘He was a Millwall hooligan back in the day,’ the 21year-old winger laughs. ‘The stories that he told me, you just would not believe them.’ Twardek spent five years with Millwall, as they earned promotion from League One to reestablishing themselves in the Championship, and while he made a senior appearance against Hull City he was unable to force his way into manager Neil Harris’ starting XI. ‘Honestly, I have nothing but positive things to say about it,’ says Twardek. ‘I would have liked to have played more but it was basically a settled team of experienced pros trying to get the club to a level where it should be at. I managed to play some part but I would have liked to have played more games. ‘But you have to prove yourself in the end which is why it’s a great opportunity to be here.’ Twardek flew into Dublin on Wednesday morning and headed straight to the Aviva Stadium for the first round draw of the Irish