Young footballers meet their heroes

PHOENIX RISING: Members of Wellington Phoenix football team thrilled Greytown School and Kuranui College students during a visit to Wairarapa last week. Pictured unfurling the colours were Jack Towler (left), Jack Gray, Darby Lambert (kneeling), Liam Gerritsen, Thomas Neazor-Grant, Rio Fail-Boswell (crouching), Stanley Archibald, Carter Elwin-Pepperell, Noah Teodoro (sitting). PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV

Wellington Phoenix have breathed real life into the beautiful game for young fans and aspiring players from Greytown School and Kuranui College.

Phoenix players Lewis Italiano, Albert Riera and Alejandro Gorrin visited the Greytown students last Wednesday as part of the Phoenix in Schools scheme.

They answered questions, signed autographs, posed for photographs and traded killer passes with young footballers lucky enough to take the pitch, said Dave Butler-Peck, Greytown Sport and Leisure Society executive.

The Greytown Junior FC and Greytown FC were the first rural junior and senior clubs in New Zealand to achieve the New Zealand Football Quality Club Mark, Mr Butler-Peck said, and the visit this week was a tip of the hat to the clubs' hard work.

Greytown Sport and Leisure Society had helped arrange the visit, which also came as a timely reward for the Kuranui College Boys 1st XI, who beat Rathkeale College in the Wairarapa Colleges Football Grand Final with a last-minute win on the previous Saturday.

The players, toting Phoenix bags and mini-footballs as prizes for the best questions, were relaxed and engaged throughout the visit and their question-and-answer session at the revamped Greytown School hall, Mr Butler-Peck said.

Italiano, from Australia, described his life as a professional footballer as "awesome" and recalled the call from Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick asking him to sign for the Wellington club.

Spaniards Riera and Gorrin talked about growing up in their home country and how hard work at training helped them achieve their dreams of being professional footballers.

Greytown School sports co-ordinator Paul Hammond arranged for students who played football this season to meet the players, before a group of Year 7 and 8 pupils enjoyed a game against their heroes.

"I thought our players gave them a good test. The smiles on the kids' faces said it all."

Mr Butler-Peck said Wellington Phoenix were aiming to "spread their wings and build a football family across the whole region, and there's no doubt they left Greytown with scores of young supporters for life".

"When the Phoenix kick off their season against Perth Glory on October 12, there's sure to be lots of Wairarapa faces in the crowd," he said.