FTIFA welcomes new and returning students from all over the world as their Football Studies Programme gets back up and running at Rossall School.
In a successful ongoing partnership with Rossall School, FTIFA’s Football Studies Programme offers aspiring footballers from across the globe with the opportunity to study at an HMC Independent School with a bespoke curriculum of education, whilst being immersed in an elite football development programme, training at Poolfoot Farm, home of Fleetwood Town’s first team.
There are currently 40 players on the programme – 12 returning and 28 new faces – from 17 different countries including Russia, Israel, Spain, UAE, Poland, Algeria, South Africa, Thailand, Germany, USA, Brazil, Cayman Islands, China, Australia, Hong Kong, Ukraine, and the UK.
Students board and study at Rossall School for either GCSE, BTEC, A-Levels or IB Diploma, alongside training in a full time coaching and games programme delivered by Fleetwood Town Football Club. Students are all aged between 15-19 and will be on the programme for 1-3 years, depending on their school year.
The current programme brings together individuals of all abilities and 17 different nationalities, which creates a unique and motivational learning environment for both players and coaching staff.
“The growth of the programme, in terms of numbers as well as the quality of players, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff that have worked on it for the past 4-5 years,” said James Ward, FTIFA’s International Sales and Partnerships Manager.
“The squad are currently midway through a preseason period and are showing a great attitude to get match fit, along with getting to understand the demands of the English game. We are extremely excited for the rest of the season to see how the students grow throughout, as players and as individuals.”
Ohad Haviv Buck, from Israel, has been playing football since he was five years old, and has competed at a high level in both Israel and Thailand. He joined the Football Studies Programme last year as he wants to further develop his skills and enter into the world of professional football.
“I have been incredibly pleased throughout this past year and with the support of high level coaching, I feel I have improved my football and that I am on the right path towards playing football at a high level,” said Ohad.
“This year, the Football Programme looks exceptional, and with just a few games under our belt, we are determined to keep improving and achieve great things.
“What I love about the Football Programme is that it provides us, as individuals from all over the world, with high level coaching from the Fleetwood Town staff whilst we are also able to study at Rossall. I’m also excited about the opportunities this link with Fleetwood Town will provide me with in the future.”
Yacoub Basweidan, from Dubai, is on his second year of the Programme, and is enjoying every minute of life as a student-athlete.
“The experience has been wonderful, and I can’t wait for what lies ahead this season,” said Yacoub. “There’s been a definite increase in the levels of the Football Programme here at Rossall after bringing in new talented players from across the world. The team has performed extremely well together during the pre-season, including a well fought match against Fleetwood U16s where Rossall triumphed.
“The season looks to be an exciting one with great players representing the programme and fighting hard to win as many games as possible. The team is excited and prepared to give their all to succeed.”
Please note, in light of the ongoing pandemic, all players are required to quarantine and undertake Covid testing before they start the programme. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, so we have made steps to ensure every aspect of the programme complies with government guidelines.
Click here for more information about FTIFA’s Football Studies Programme.