Jamie Carragher opens LFC Academy in India

[Pakistan]

Liverpool Legend Jamie Carragher today opened the Reds’ International Football Academy in Pune, making this his first official representation of the Club since his retirement in 2013. The Liverpool FC International Football Academy - DSK Shivajians, which is India's very-first residential football academy in partnership with a top-flight club, was announced in October last year. Since then a three-month scouting programme, visiting six Indian cities including, Aizawl, Shillong, Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, run by LFC coaches Ray Curtis and Michael Rice has identified 64 talented players who will form the first intake of the Academy's U17s and U19s, servicing local football club, DSK Shivajians. "I was at Liverpool's Academy for six years before I went on to playing in the first team for 17 years. I know first-hand how important it is to have the right development as a young player to fulfil your potential" said Jamie Carragher. "The players, who will make up the U17s and U19s squads, will follow Liverpool's philosophies both on and off the pitch. The kids are from all over the country and some of them have been awarded scholarships so this will be a life-changing experience for them. The Academy back in Liverpool is very close to my heart so it's great to be here today and be part of the opening of India's first international residential football academy" he added. The Reds, who have a strong fan base in India with over 93 million followers, and DSK Shivajians believe the new International Football Academy will help develop the game in a country where football is growing. Shirish Kulkarni, President of Liverpool FC International Football Academy - DSK Shivajians commented: "Today I stand here feeling extremely proud to see the dream of associating with my favourite team in the world Liverpool FC and building a world class football Academy in India turn into reality. The country is now embracing the potential of this sport and today we are witnessing growing interest in terms of its acceptance and the investments being made. We hope to contribute significantly with this venture. With the world class facilities, infrastructure and supervision of coaches from Liverpool FC we are confident of nurturing the talent right here and creating a true legacy in the country." The Academy is located at the DSK International Campus at Loni, on the outskirts of Pune. It is a purpose-built residential complex with 840 air-conditioned and fully furnished single rooms. Facilities include two full-size pitches, one 4G synthetic turf and one natural grass, an outdoor swimming pool, lecture theatre, classrooms, changing rooms, a gym, canteen and convenience store. Source: http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/164321-jamie-carragher-opens-lfc-academy-in-india

[Bleed-Blue]

The former Reds vice-captain, who played 737 times for LFC, was in Pune, Maharashtra on Tuesday to officially open the club's new International Football Academy in partnership with DSK Shivajians in India. It was Carragher's first ever visit to India but, speaking after the event that saw 64 kids from all over the country receive expert coaching at the new world-class facilities, he admitted it's an experience he'd like to repeat soon. "It's always nice to be involved with Liverpool Football Club so I was delighted to be asked to come to India to represent LFC as an ambassador for the launch of this new Academy," Carragher told Liverpoolfc.com. "It's been a great experience for me as I've never been to India before this week. I've loved what I've seen of the country and the people I've met so I'm sure I'll try to come back soon. "Cricket is obviously the No.1 sport in India and I doubt that will ever change but there's no reason why football can't become even more popular in this country. Lots of countries are represented in the Premier League so I think it is only a matter of time before a player from India breaks through and makes it. "We all hope that Liverpool FC opening this Academy in Pune will help young Indian players with talent develop and realise their full potential. I told the youngsters here that they need to work hard and listen to their coaches. "No matter where in the world you are, there's no magic secret in football - you need talent, you need to have the right attitude, you need to listen to people and always have the enthusiasm to try to improve. "If you have that attitude and you are coached well - and this Academy will hopefully provide the best possible surroundings to do that - then you give yourself a chance." The new Academy, India's first residential football academy in partnership with a top-flight club, was announced in October last year and boasts two full-size pitches, 840 air-conditioned rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, lecture theatre, classrooms, changing rooms and gym. Since then, LFC coaches Ray Curtis and Michael Rice have spent three months travelling across India and visiting different cities to scout for the very best talent for the first intake of the Academy. For teenager Aditya Veer Singh from Indore - one of the first inductees in Pune - it's a dream come true. Aditya has been a Liverpool fan for 10 years and grew up idolising not just Carragher but also Reds captain Steven Gerrard. His ambition, he says, is to one day be invited to Liverpool for a trial. If that ambition is to be realised, Aditya will need to rely heavily on the expertise of Academy coach Curtis, who moved over to India to help establish the project. "We're going to give the kids the best opportunity to be the best they can be," Curtis told Liverpoolfc.com. "The ideal scenario is that ultimately they make a career in football. "The kids we've coached so far have been very enthusiastic and very respectful of what we're trying to do. We need to work on the technical ability of some of the players but that is what this Academy is here to do."