Another young Fulhamerican?

dcheather · Jul 23, 2013

http://www.footballfancast.com/premiers ... erican-ace?

Both Arsenal and Fulham are keeping tabs on young American sensation Jeff Caldwell according to radio station TalkSport.

The 17-year-old goalkeeper is currently contracted to North Carolina Fusion in the United States. He is currently in London after spending time on trial at Brentford and it seems his time there has alerted the attention of scouts from the Emirates and Craven Cottage.

Both clubs are after a new set of hands in front of goal for different reasons. For Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger is very much a manager that looks into the future and senses another gem in the form of Caldwell. His search for a keeper is exacerbated by the lack of a commanding presence between the sticks. It remains to be seen if Wojciech Szczesny has a long term future at the club.

Fulham have just parted company with vastly experienced goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer leaving Maarten Stekelenburg and David Stockdale the only senior shot stoppers at Martin Jol’s disposal so back up is required to strengthen the squad.

If Caldwell does sign a contract with either club it represents a constant trend of American goalkeepers playing their football in England.

Current stoppers include Brad Guzan and Tim Howard, while their fellow 42-year-old countryman Brad Friedel is one of the Premier League’s most experienced players.
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Clevelandmo · Jul 23, 2013

I get a chuckle out of the "currently contracted to the North Carolina Fusion in the United States". Yes, it might be difficult to sign him away from that attractive contract at an amateur youth club where he probably has to pay thousands to play soccer or at best gets to play for free.

SoCalJoe · Jul 24, 2013

Clevelandmo said:

I get a chuckle out of the "currently contracted to the North Carolina Fusion in the United States". Yes, it might be difficult to sign him away from that attractive contract at an amateur youth club where he probably has to pay thousands to play soccer or at best gets to play for free.
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:lol: Offer the kid $100 bucks a week and 3 squares and call it a done deal.

Clevelandmo · Sep 25, 2013

Luca De La Torre is an American who apparently plays for the Fulham FC academy if you believe Ives, who is generally pretty darn reliable. Anyone know anything about this. I dont see him on the FFC website anywhere.

He was just named to the US U17 team that will be traveling to Spain (as was a young lad from our local Cleveland DA :banana-dance: )

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/09/roster-announced-spain.html

dcheather · Sep 25, 2013

A google search led me to this article:

http://www.soccernation.com/wright-is-right-cms-3892

In 2012 Wright hosted ELP's Fulham Youth Academy Performance Coordinator and Skills Coach Gavin Taylor on a visit to observe the training programs at San Diego Surf SC and to check on the development of two talented prospects, Luca de la Torre and Anthony Wright, Paul’s son. Fulham Academy coaches have high hopes for both of the boys, with de la Torre already having made four previous trips to London.

Wright recently returned from a trip to the Fulham Academy in London, which he visited with his son and de la Torre. While there the boys practiced with the Academy team and experienced the life that could possibly be theirs one day. Wright spent time observing the Fulham coaches and the training system that has made the Academy one of the top youth programs in the UK. All three also had the chance to interact with the Fulham first team, who were also training.

Luca de la Torre (L) and Anthony Wright (R) worked with Fulham's Gavin Taylor when Taylor visited San Diego.
“It was a great trip,” Wright told SoccerNation News editor Diane Scavuzzo. “It was a pleasure and an honor to observe them and immerse myself in their culture and training, to follow their coaches around and observe how they do things.”

“It was a very eye opening, once-in-a-lifetime experience to be surrounded by the first team,” Wright recalled of the visit.

“We trained right next to the first team; the professional players were at the next field. Then we had lunch with the first team players in the same cafeteria and interacted with them. For a kid, it has to be very encouraging and must inspire them to work even harder to make it to that step across to the next field.”

Taylor had invited Wright to visit Fulham as part of the association the two have developed since last year.

During his visit to San Diego, Taylor had talked about the benefits that the Academy players would gain by having a chance to learn from the London-born and American-trained Wright.

“Our boys will be the envy for the work Paul’s doing because we have boys from London that are playing for our Academy who don’t have access to knowledge that Paul has,” said Taylor in an earlier interview.

“Paul Wright has a wealth of experience. He’s been there, he’s done it. He has a passion that I share, and he has the expertise as well.”

For Wright the greatest benefit was the chance to see just how intense the training is that goes on at Fulham Academy – “American soccer on a much higher level,” as he put it.

“Everything is faster,” Wright explained. “It has a higher intensity and a faster pace. The drills move faster. Everything is very much more on the ball. The training sessions are very structured and planned out.”

While there is an emphasis on pace and intensity in the Fulham training, the importance of fun is never lost. Wright observed that coaches and trainers turned each drill and workout into a friendly competition between groups, with winners and losers. “At this level, competition is everything for these kids,” Wright said.

The speed and intensity of training and love of competition are part of what Wright hopes to echo in his own training with his son, de la Torre and other talented young prospects in San Diego. While he knows the Fulham experience cannot be replicated, the ideas he brings back will make a world of difference for the players he trains.

“I was invited over to observe their overall program so when I am doing my training in San Diego we are heading towards the same goal of developing the best soccer players and athletes,” Wright explained.

“I see the kinds of weaknesses in the kids that the Fulham coaches want to turn into strengths, and so I get some ideas on how to do that better. We want to make sure we are sharing the ideas.”

Currently de la Torre and the younger Wright are training with the San Diego Surf Soccer Club Academy under coach Mike “Nico” Nicholson.

The two fifteen-year-olds regularly train and play with older boys, giving them a taste of what will be in store for them.

Wright believes that the Surf Academy program measures up well against what the boys experienced at Fulham.

“I think Surf offers a great program, and it’s a good environment for the boys,” Wright said of the Surf's U.S. Development Academy program.

“They’re both 15 year olds playing against sixteen and seventeen year old boys, so they’re challenged in the games and they’re challenged in practice. Nico really pushes them to try to get the most out of those boys, so it’s a good soccer environment for them while they’re here.”

Wright also believes that the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program is making great strides in comparison to the Academy programs in the UK.

“It is a very good program and the structure is getting better,” Wright said. “We all know that the youth soccer programs have been around in the UK a lot longer and have a huge advantage, but we are getting stronger every year.”

Still, American youth soccer has a way to go before it will match the type of training that goes on at European youth programs, especially a top Academy like Fulham. But this is part of what drew Wright in the first place.

Among the many college and professional athletes Paul Wright has worked with are (clockwise from top) University of Arizona' CJ Dozier (9), USC's Nick Schlossberg and former LA Dodger Trent Oeltjen.
“It is great to share ideas with one of the top academies in England,” said Wright. “It is great having an association with Fulham, and this will only make me be a better trainer in the United States. Fulham Academy develops and nurtures their players, and this is why I think our relationship has taken off so well – I am hugely into the development of athletes.”

Presently Wright’s main focus will be on helping de la Torre and his son develop to the point that one or both could qualify to sign with Fulham at sixteen.

The prospects look good, particularly for de la Torre. If either or both of the boys go, Wright knows that they will be in good hands.

“I like the family atmosphere at Fulham,” Wright said. “The coaches were great with our boys and my son loved it. They kept calling the players the American boys. It was a great experience for both of them and I think this is the type of environment they would like to be in. It was very motivating and really lit the fire in them.”

“Fulham Academy was amazing,” said Wright of the experience. “Right now I am in a learning process and looking forward to a return trip and observing even more.”
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