Marley Leuluai, 12, has been at Manchester City five years, playing tournaments in seven European countries.
Marley Leuluai, 12, has been at Manchester City five years, playing tournaments in seven European countries.
Scan down the list of the under-13 team at the Manchester City Academy and you'll come across some familiar footballing surnames.
There's the twin boys of former Manchester United star Darren Fletcher, as well as the son of two-time European Cup winner Viv Anderson. There's Heskey - yes, the progeny of ex-Liverpool and England striker Emile Heskey is also there, while the sons of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie also featured for the team on occasions the past two seasons.
It's the place to be for young aspiring footballers and in among them all, at the home of the English Premier League champions and within one of Europe's biggest academies, is a Kiwi kid from a famed New Zealand league family.
Meet Marley Johannes Leuluai. Son of Kylie, the former Manly and Leeds prop, who won six Super League grand finals and two Challenge Cups with the Rhinos. Kylie's cousins include Thomas Leuluai, now at Wigan, and Macgraff Leuluai (Widnes Vikings), while his uncle is legendary Hull and Kiwis centre James Leuluai.
"He loves football," says Kylie Leuluai of his son. "He started late, at seven. A lot of kids start playing here at three, four or five but he was more into tennis. Then he got into football through his friends and he loved it straight away."
Since being bought by a United Arab Emirates investment group in 2008, Manchester City has become the richest club in England, valued at US$2.5 billion by Forbes.
In 2014, they unveiled their new £200 million academy, spread over 32ha. There are 16 football pitches and a 7000-capacity stadium.
There are training fields with three depths of grass, three large gyms, six hydro-therapy pools, a 56-seat theatre and 80 bedrooms on site, including a four-star hotel.
And the opportunities are endless. At 12 years old, Marley has already played in tournaments in seven European countries.
Kylie arrived in England in December 2006 to play for Leeds, after an itinerant NRL career with spells at the Sea Eagles, Eels, Roosters and Tigers, and is now director of league for Warrington Wolves. Marley was born a month before his father's move to Leeds.
His football journey started as a seven-year-old, when invited to a tournament by some friends.
"Some mates took him along," says Leuluai. "There were scouts at the tournament and it led on from there. We didn't know anything about academies at that age ... but they find kids at four or five years old here, which is unbelievable."
He was spotted by Blackburn Rovers, before moving on to Manchester City a year later, having impressed scouts at the Lancashire club.
"They paid all the expenses and I wanted him to be at the best club, with the best players," says Leuluai. "It was closer, a great facility, and they told us about the schooling programme. It wasn't rocket science."
Leuluai junior has progressed well. He's in his fifth year at Manchester City and at the end of last season, 18 boys were selected to progress to City's senior academy (12 years and over). Of those, half were offered five-year scholarships to St Bede's private school in Manchester, where annual fees top £11,300 ($21,200). Leuluai was one of the chosen nine.
Marley Leuluai, son of former Kiwi Kylie Leuluai, is rising through the ranks of Manchester City's age-grade football teams.
"There was an academic side - you have to do all the exams to get into the school," says Leuluai. "But it was also about your talent as a player and if you can handle the pressures of the programme. It's quite intense from now ... it's when it all starts. For a young kid, there's a lot of pressure on them. That's why they have the selection process, where they have to pick the right kid for it. Not all kids can handle it."
Four times a week, Marley studies until 1pm, before being driven to the academy with the rest of his teammates. After lunch, they review video before a training session, followed by a meal, then an hour of academic lessons. He leaves for home at 6pm. All of Leuluai's gear is kept in his locker, with the on-site laundry taking care of the dirty kit each day.
"It's a whole different world," says Kylie. "He's been lucky ... but he really enjoys it. Why wouldn't you enjoy it when you go to school for half a day, then spend the rest of the afternoon around football?"
Since the advent of the Premier League in 1992, English football is a sport measured in billions. The most recent domestic broadcasting deal was worth £5.14 billion ($9.65 billion) for three years.
With such high stakes, there's a constant search for talent, with age no barrier. Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock was spotted by the Gunners as a four year-old, juggling the ball on the sideline while watching his older brother play. England midfielder Jesse Lingard has been at Manchester United since he was seven.
In 2015, several clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs were engaged in a race to sign an 11-year-old, Charlie Patino, from Luton Town. Patino, pictured alongside his dog Truffles in various stories, opted for Arsenal, and cost the Gunners £10,000 in compensation.
From the age of nine, when players can be formally signed to academies, they also become business assets. For nine or 10 year-olds, the compensation fee is at least £3000 ($5656) per season of training. For 11-year-olds and above, clubs can seek up to £40,000 ($75,500) for each season the player has been at their academy, though those fees are sometimes waived by mutual agreement.
Marley has already received a wonderful footballing education but father and son accept the challenges of trying to break through in English football.
"I think he understands the realities of sport ... form, injury, all the other obstacles you may face trying to make it ... and the chances of making it," says Leuluai. "I'm realistic with him and he has seen it throughout the years, when players get dropped from the team or leave the club, he understands.
"Having the school and scholarship is the main thing at the moment. Whatever else he gets from the club is a bonus really. We are delighted and grateful he has this opportunity."
The scale of Manchester City's operation was illustrated when Marley picked up an injury in a Sunday match this year.
"He tore his hip flexor and was on crutches," recalls Leuluai. "My wife and I were a bit worried, thinking about school the next day. But by the time we got home, we had an email from the school. It said 'Marley will go to school tomorrow and go to the library to be met by the nurse. She will provide ice for him all day and he will stay in the library and the tutors will bring his lesson books'. He stayed in the library all week."
For his part, Marley is enjoying the ride: "I was buzzing, really happy and proud when I got the scholarship," says the 12-year-old.
"It's been amazing at school as well, really good. It's quite hard seeing my friends now, because of football [but] I do get to see them sometimes, like during the holidays. I miss my friends but I love football as well, so I'm all right."
Despite being at City more than five years, Marley still gets star struck running into first-team players.
"I've met Vincent Kompany, Jon Stones, Kyle Walker, [Raheem] Sterling, [Leroy] Sane ... nearly all of them," says Marley. "On TV, you don't see how big they are. But when you get up close, they are massive."
Unlike many kids his age, Leuluai likes being a defender.
"The way we play at City, we play out from the back," says Marley. "I like playing out and passing it out, [and] when we are defending, I like doing slide tackles on people ... it gives me a lot of confidence. Kompany is probably my favourite player to watch, because of his defending ability and how big he is. I'd like to become like him when I'm older."
His aims for this season are to win the City Cup (an annual tournament held at the Academy featuring some of Europe's biggest clubs) and play in the Truce Cup in Belgium.
Marley has his feet on the ground but doesn't hesitate when asked about his goals for the future.
"To become a professional footballer," he says. "And to be the best player I can be. And I'd like to be as strong as my dad."
