OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 10.00am.
MANCHESTER United have appointed Cape Town club FC Fortune as their player development representatives in southern Africa, the English champions announced on Wednesday.
FC Fortune will look out for talented young footballers in the region while in return Manchester United will offer advice and technical assistance and take players to Old Trafford and elsewhere in Britain for trials.
”Manchester United are proud to be part of this programme. We have a legendary youth system which was started under Matt Busby and continued through the years to its present position,” said Mike Edelson, a non-executive United board member.
”We hope to develop future star players, but more importantly to give youngsters an opportunity that they previously never had.”
FC Fortune play in the National Soccer League first division in South Africa and are named after Quinton Fortune, the South Africa and Atletico Madrid midfielder, who said: ”This is a really great opportunity for young players to reach their dreams and I am glad that I can give a little bit back to the people who took care of me when I was a youngster.”
United manager Alex Ferguson commented: ”We believe this link will give us entry to a rich seam of African football talent and help us discover players to follow in the steps of our youth academy’s best products.” — Reuters