Premier League winner Joleon Lescott admitted he has been astounded by the quality of the Manchester City Football Schools 2020 programme in the UAE.
The former defender, who won four major trophies during his time at the Etihad, was visiting the region to check on the latest launch of the City initiative.
With locations in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, City Football Schools provides players of all abilities with the opportunity to learn from expert coaches who have worked at the renowned Etihad Campus.
“It was fantastic,” says Lescott. “The kids were so enthusiastic on the pitch, to not just play but also learn from the coaches and that is the key to playing and enjoying football.
"I was lucky enough to play professionally and for me I enjoyed football from the very first moment I kicked a ball until the very last. As a young footballer, you always want to get the best out of yourself and that is what I passed on to the younger generation."
As well as developing their own skills through detailed coaching sessions, players have the chance to test themselves in competitive matches and tournaments.
Through the Talented Player Program, the best performers can also earn the chance to train with some of City Football Group’s professional clubs, including Manchester City and New York City.
Lescott, who now works as a coach for those players the club sends out on loan, added: "I believe working hard is very important in life, especially in football as kids need to understand what they need to work on more than any other areas. You can sometimes overtrain so there is a fine line between working hard and working smartly.”
Having been a regular visitor to the UAE, Lescott has been able to watch the development of City Football Schools within the region.
“I've been here a few times and to see the progression of the city in the 10 years that I've been travelling here is incredible,” he says.
"I was a player at Man City when City Football Schools began operating in the Middle East region and to now see how big it is here is amazing. There are coaches from Manchester now helping develop the talented kids and it's great to see a lot of work has been put in to achieve the excellent results so far.”
Lescott is well placed to assess the impact of City Football Schools on local young players given his own role as loan coach at the Etihad, where he works with some of the club’s emerging talents.
“There are 34 players on loan and my job is to monitor their progress and support them through mentoring,” he said.
“For players, it’s very important they get as much support as possible and our team keeps an eye out for them on how they are doing which is crucial for their development and for the club.”
