New Zealand goalkeeper Jacob Gleeson has been offered all-expenses paid trials at glamour English premier league clubs Manchester United and Everton after impressing at last monthÂ’s FIFA U-17 menÂ’s World Cup in South Korea.
The 17-year-old Wellingtonian will trial at Everton from October 28 until November 4 before spending a dream week chasing a youth squad position at Manchester United.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” the understated Newlands College sixth former said.
“It’s what all youth footballers aspire to, a professional contract. But the way I’m approaching it, I’m just going over there to do my best and gain experience…if anything else comes of it, it’s a bonus.”
The attention on the Western Suburbs stopper is another positive to come from New ZealandÂ’s eye-opening World Cup where they were beaten by Brazil 7-0, England 5-0 and North Korea 1-0.
Gleeson, whose shot-stopping agility belies his growing 193cm frame, played in the first two matches and produced several stunning saves to deny the rampant Brazilians a double-figure score-line.
“After the Brazil game my dad [Pat] was approached by a scout and it just went from there. Four days after the World Cup he approached us again to see if we were still interested and he arranged all the details…it’s pretty cool,” Gleeson said.
New Zealand Football Chief Executive Graham Seatter said the interest in Gleeson alone went a long way towards vindicating the investment in the U-17 programme.
“While results are always important and what we’ll be judged on externally, we’ll ultimately judge the success or otherwise of these age-group World Cups on the numbers of players that graduate to the senior national teams and into the professional ranks, Seatter said.”
“These opportunities for Jake represent another big tick as far as we’re concerned to go with Jack Pelter who is on the books at Sunderland and has the chance to secure a long-term contract following his goal at the U-20 World Cup in Canada.”