Young Caribbean footballers huddle around Manchester United Soccer School coaches to get tips and advice on how to up their game during last year's inaugural Ultimate Football Experience clinics hosted by Flow and Manchester United. Photo: C&W/File

Garfield Sinclair, President of Cable & Wireless Caribbean, which operates the consumer brand Flow in the region. Photo: C&W

Every young footballer’s dream is to play on the global stage and with Flow Skills that dream is within reach as Caribbean football clubs and coaches prepare youngsters to come out for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) endorsed initiative so they can get a chance to be seen by some of the world’s top coaches and Manchester United Legends.

In fact, Manchester United Ambassador, Denis J. Irwin accompanied by Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS) coaches will attend the launch event and will make appearances in other markets during the course of the competition through to its culmination in Trinidad on Monday, March 26, 2018.

"What an opportunity! When I was a young footballer myself, I’d have given anything to have a chance like this - complete access to legends and coaches we’d only see on TV. With Flow Skills, today’s talented young Caribbean footballers not only get to meet these coaches face-to-face, but also to get tips and advice from the coaches and legends of the great game during ‘All Star clinics’. Wow! I’m elated, to say the least, and I’m really proud that Flow is inspiring and developing our youngsters in this way. Thanks to Manchester United, we are making a real impact on young people’s lives offering them a not-to-be-missed opportunity," said Garfield Sinclair, President of Cable & Wireless Caribbean, which operates the consumer brand Flow in the region.

Test of skills

In the preliminary round, eligible footballers from local clubs within Flow’s 15 Caribbean markets will go through a series of specially designed skills tests recommended by MUSS and will be judged and delivered by CFU coaches. As the competition progresses to the second phase, two participants from each market, along with their respective coach, will advance to a two-day skills session in Trinidad and Tobago. There, they will experience one-on-one training with CFU and MUSS coaches. In a test of skills, two top performers will emerge and earn for themselves, their coach and a parent the opportunity to visit Old Trafford in Manchester; but more importantly the youngsters will get the chance-of-a-lifetime to participate in a talent development football camp courtesy of Manchester United and Flow.

The Caribbean Football Union's General Secretary, Neil Cochrane noted, "On behalf of the Acting President Randy Harris, the Executive Committee and Member Associations of the CFU, let me state how proud we are to once again endorse this most significant football development program. From our involvement in the inaugural staging of the initiative, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, as this has been a truly exhilarating and beneficial initiative. Hundreds of young footballers in 15 countries - half of the CFU's membership - are again getting the exposure they crave, and the opportunity to compete, hone their skills, and, hopefully fulfil their dreams. We consider this initiative as adding significant value to our portfolio of annual activities but even more important is the value that it adds to youth development and to building a solid foundation for football across the region. Once again, we welcome this partnership with Flow and Manchester United for the 2018 edition, and stand ready to get the ball rolling.”

Participating Flow markets include: Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, [British] Virgin Islands (VI), Cayman, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Turks & Caicos Islands.