La Liga HPC players on radar of big clubs
Al Yamani off to Celta Vigo, Ahmad in talks with Al Ain
Two players for the du La Liga High Performance Centre (HPC) — Ahmad Al Yamani and Rashid Ahmad — have been scouted by Spain’s Celta Vigo and the UAE’s Al Ain respectively.
Palestinian midfielder Al Yamani, 16, from Sharjah, will spend a year with the Uefa Europa League semi-finalists with the aim of getting a fulltime deal, while Emirati defender Ahmad, 17, is in talks with record 12-time Arabian Gulf League winners Al Ain.
Both were members of the du La Liga HPC Under-18 team, which recently won the inaugural UAE FA Academy League.
Five other prospects are being tracked by clubs with a view to signing with Spanish clubs.
“We are proud to announce that du LaLiga HPC has produced talents who are on the way to pro-football careers internationally and nationally,” said du chief executive officer Osman Sultan. “We celebrate their achievements and look forward to many more stars next season.”
The du La Liga HPC is the first La Liga academy of its kind outside Spain.
It draws talent from the du Football Champions (duFC) UAE Schools and Streets Cup, involving 7,000 players from across the UAE.
Their players train yearround with expert coaches, playing in the UAE FA Academy League and travelling to Spain for intensive training camps where they play against youth teams from La Liga clubs, where they have the opportunity to be scouted.
As well as tie ups with clubs, the La Liga academy is in the process of tying up with top universities to offer its players scholarships abroad.