The Pro Touch SA squad on their way to compete against some of eastern Europe’s top youth clubs in the 32-team Bubamara Cup in Croatia

A TOP squad of wannabe professional footballers have gained “experience beyond their years” after jetting off to Croatia to showcase their skills on foreign soil.

Players from Pro Touch SA flew the flag for England in the Bubamara Cup – a 32-team tournament featuring some of the best youth clubs in eastern Europe.

Made up of talented young footballers from across Camden, Islington and Westminster, the Under-10s side put in a series of spirited performances out on the pitches in Zagreb but were unable to bring the winners’ trophy back home with them when they returned to north London at the weekend.

Pro Touch founder Ash Rahman believes it’s not all about the winning, however – insisting the trip was about a lot more than just silverware.

He said: “It’s very important for us to get back to some sort of normality.

“Because of the Covid pandemic we’ve been unable to travel anywhere or take part in any international tournaments for more than two years, so this was a big moment for us.

“This competition was a brilliant way to introduce our young players to international football, and give them the chance to gain experience beyond their years by finding out first-hand what it’s like to immerse yourself in the sport.

“All of the children are really excited about the World Cup that’s kicking off in a few months, and now they know what it’s like to be away from home: training, eating, sleeping and being around your teammates 24/7 while preparing for a series of tough matches in a short space of time.

“We only had six weeks to prepare for this tournament, which isn’t ideal. But overall I thought the children played some amazing football and held their own against some great teams. They should be proud of themselves.”

Pro Touch was originally set up back in 2006 to help support and encourage young, gifted footballers finding their feet within the professional game.

It has since evolved in to a multi-sports organisation that runs a wide range of activities within local communities across London.

Stressing the importance of grassroots sport, Ash added: “Sport is a great way of giving children the chance to have a better, healthier lifestyle – to be more disciplined, and keep fit and active.

“We’ve been doing this for 16 years and the most important thing for us is to keep children motivated and engaged.

“But as I’ve said before, not every child enjoys sport, so we also hold arts and crafts activities and fun days out. We’re always engaging with our children and their parents, and asking, what would they enjoy doing? And then we make it happen.”