“We Neapolitans are like the South Americans of Europe: poor but proud. We try to take care of one another. It’s why Diego felt at home here. He was one of us and still is, even if he became a God in Naples.“
Diego Maradona, FIFA Player of the Century, was the most mesmerising, albeit unprofessional, of the footballing GOATs. He dazzled fans and bamboozled defences with his craftiness and grit. Carrying ten Argentines on his short, squat back, he took his revenge on England for the Falklands War with his ‘Hand of God’ on his way to victory in the 1986 World Cup.A messy exit from Barcelona was redeemed by a seven-year stint at Napoli in the 1980s where he reinvigorated the team and brought pride and success to the city.
Diego Maradona playing for Napoli
Italy was long divided between the rich north and the poor south. Northern economic powerhouses like Turin, Rome and Milan boasted the best football teams with Juventus, Roma, Inter and AC Milan dominating Serie A. A Neapolitan explained their rivalry with Juve. “It’s not only a rivalry between two football teams. It’s also a rivalry between the richer, business-driven, productive side of society and those of us from the south, who were always migrants or immigrants.” Before Maradona captained Napoli, no club from the south of the Italian Peninsula had ever won the league.
Maradona arrived in 1984 in poverty-ridden Naples, a city controlled by the mafia that was yet to recover from a destructive earthquake a few years earlier. The little Argentine’s enthusiastic embrace of the local cocaine-infused, party lifestyle with the Camorra Capocrimine left fans needing little imagination to speculate on the source of his record-breaking transfer fee from Barcelona but as the local newspaper stated, they were not concerned. Despite the lack of a “mayor, houses, schools, buses, employment and sanitation, none of this matters because we have Maradona”.
Argentina was a destination for hundreds of thousands of impoverished southern Italian men in the late 19th and early 20th century. Indeed, in Lunfardo, Italian/Argentine slang, spoken in Buenos Aires, tano (from Napolitano) is how the many people of Italian descent are still described today.
Maradona never forgot his roots growing up in poverty. He lived in a shack without running water and once fell into an open sewage pit. He said, “I want to be the idol of the poor kids of Naples because they are just like me as a youngster in Villa Fiorito”. One Napoli fan, fortunate enough to know Diego personally, since his mother worked for him, said “when he saw us, we reminded him of his Argentine family. In fact, he called my mother his ‘mamma Napoletana.”
Maradona rapidly became a loved figure in Naples with his showmanship on and off the pitch, hauling the club to their first-ever Serie A title in 1986/87. Sportswriter David Goldblatt wrote, “The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival that ran for over a week. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing ‘May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.”
However, it was always more than just football for the Neapolitans. “When I was young the city was only known for Camorra and crime. He gave us a new identity, and made the world see that Naples was worth something” said Napoli supporter Giuseppe Nappo following the death of Maradona in November 2020. It had always been a city full of culture, character and spirit but the world never saw it as such until Maradona arrived. He brought joy to the city of Naples that had been blighted by natural disaster and crime and he helped to put it on a level playing field with the big cities of the north. His legacy will forever be instilled in the Neapolitan culture. He is one of just three honorary citizens of Naples and the Napoli fans still chant his name passionately at every game; an ode for single-handedly restoring pride in their city.
A young Napoli fan mourns the death of Diego Maradona
During the 1990 World Cup, Maradona attempted to get the Neapolitans to support Argentina versus Italy in a semi-final match at Napoli’s stadium. It was a step too far for the Italian media with whom relations broke down in recriminations over his drug abuse, unsavoury connections and ill-discipline, resulting in his exit to Sevilla. Although he didn’t transform the loyal Napoli fans into Argentines, with his golden touch and compassion for their city, Maradona became the favourite son of Naples, reinstilled with pride.
If you’ve been following the world of football, you would know that Amazon recorded behind the scenes footage of Tottenham Hotspurs entire season and the first three episodes were released just last Monday. These episodes were fantastic. They gave a brilliant insight into how `Jose Mourinho acts as a manager and it kept the audience glued to the screen, excited for all the drama to unfold. Ahead of the three new episodes coming out this Monday, here are five things we learned the documentary.
1. Sir Alex Ferguson only gave Jose Mourinho one piece of advice and it was an instruction to sign a Tottenham player!
Jose Mourinho is having a meeting with Spurs attacking midfielder, Dele Alli, in his office. Mourinho is discussing with Alli how they think they can unleash his full potential together before he tells him, “You know, Alex Ferguson only gave me one piece of advice {during my time at Manchester United}, sign Dele Alli”. High praise from possibly the greatest football manager in England ever!
2. Jose Mourinho is NOT the grumpy old whiner that everyone thinks he is, at least off the pitch.
Many journalists, pundits and people in football tend to not like Jose Mourinho. It is easy to see why someone wouldn’t like him, he’s rather arrogant, he often plays “boring” football and he speaks his mind in interviews which other managers may tend not to do. However, from watching the documentary, it is clear this is not the case. Mourinho is full of life, charismatic and humorous. In one scene when he is meeting Japhet Tanganga, he shares an amusing anecdote that people always get his name wrong before proceeding to try and say the Spurs defenders name. The funniest moment in the whole show came when Mourinho is listening to the Sky Sports presenters debate over whether Mourinho has still got it. His facial expressions keep changing before he turns off the TV and says “F*** off”, classic Mourinho. He also is introduced to all the behind the scenes Spurs staff, the IT staff, the media team, the finance clerks, etc and Mourinho couldn’t have been friendlier. He spoke to all of the staff and took pictures with anyone who asked.
3. Harry Kane and the Spurs squad were as shocked about Pochettino being sacked as we were!
The sacking of Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was as much of a surprise to us as it was to the Tottenham players. Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are sitting in the canteen, eating their breakfast and Vertonghen is clearly shocked at what has happened. Harry Kane had gone to visit Pochettino the night before and explained what had happened to Vertonghen who otherwise didn’t know anymore than we did!
4. Serge Aurier might’ve gone to prison if it wasn’t for football
In Serge Aurier’s segment of the documentary, in episode two, he said “too many of my friends went to prison. Maybe I follow this way you know”. The Ivorian right-back said it’s not good for kids to grow up in this environment and then the next scene shows Aurier visiting a school in Wood Green for children with learning difficulties. He greets all the kids with a big smile, plays football with them and takes pictures with everyone. Aurier tells Amazon, “When I {was} young, I liked when a professional player came and played with me, I never forget”. He shows that he is a brilliant role model and a very humble guy and it’s great that he took the football path.
5. Jan Vertonghen is a class act
A brilliant defender, friendly to the community and a longtime servant of the club, Jan Vertonghen is a class act. After winning the game for Spurs against Wolves with a precise header into the corner, Vertonghen goes to a local food bank to help out ahead of Christmas. It is revealed that Vertonghen has been going for five years every Christmas to help out and they love him there. He signs everything they give him and talk to him about the football. He is a great leader and a figure who Tottenham will miss in the dressing room as he goes to Benfica this summer.
Enjoy the next three episodes! They come out on Monday 7th September.
As an exciting Premier League season concludes and we edge closer to another campaign, it would only be right to reflect on 2019/20 and rate every teams performance. It was an exciting campaign with some unprecedented circumstances including he introduction of VAR and the first time a Premier League season has ever halted. With that being said, here are Half-Time Orange’s ratings for every Premier League team last season.
AFC Bournemouth: 2/10
League Position: 18th
Top Scorer: Callum Wilson (8)
League Cup: 3rd round FA Cup: 4th round
Europe: N/A
Bournemouth had an extremely poor season, especially for a team with such quality in their squad. Ryan Fraser, Nathan Ake, Callum Wilson are all excellent players who didn’t perform. After a series of terrible results, Bournemouth didn’t manage to stay up. Their saving grace was a couple of great wins against Manchester United and Leicester as well as a draw against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.
Arsenal: 7/10
League Position: 8th
Top Scorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29)
League Cup: 4th round FA Cup: Winners
Europe: Europa League Round of 32
Arsenal had a rather mixed season. There was a period in Arsenal’s turbulent season where over the course of 18 Premier League games, they won just three times. Record signing Nicolas Pepe didn’t make any impact for the first few months of the season and after a dreadful start, short-lived manager Unai Emery was sacked. There was even a period in Arsenal’s turbulent season where over the course of 18 Premier League games, they won three times. He was replaced by Mikel Arteta, Manchester City’s assistant manager and Arsenal’s ex-captain. Arteta instilled a new mentality into the club and immediately there was a noticeable feel-good vibe coming out of the club. A strong start to 2020 came with a coming of age victory over Manchester United in the league and Arsenal progressed further in the FA Cup, beating Leeds and Manchester City. They failed to progress in the Europa League with a shock defeat to Greek outfit Olympiakos however they proceeded to win the FA Cup, beating London rivals Chelsea. The development of young talents Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli was really promising and the ever reliable Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a fantastic season. Despite the unflattering league finish, Arsenal are heading in the right direction!
Striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aston Villa: 5/10
League Position: 17th
Top Scorer: Jack Grealish (10)
League Cup: Runners-Up FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: N/A
Aston Villa survived the drop which is the most important thing for them as a club. Surprisingly, they also managed to reach the final of the League Cup where only the brilliance of Manchester City got in the way of Villa and the trophy, an impressive feat nonetheless! Villa struggled in the league, especially away from home and they often relied on the magic of Jack Grealish to get them out of though situations. Keinan Davis emerged as a promising talent, John McGinn proved his importance to Villa and Tyrone Mings proved himself enough for Gareth Southgate to call him up for the England squad. There are a lot of things that Dean Smith can work on for next season but it was a respectable season.
Captain Jack Grealish
Brighton: 4.5/10
League Position: 15th
Top Scorer: Neal Maupay (10)
League Cup: 3rd round FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: N/A
Many critics didn’t give Brighton any chance of staying up but contrary to popular predictions, Brighton stayed up. The simple but effective tactics of boss Graham Potter gave Brighton a new way of playing and some huge wins over Tottenham and Arsenal helped them stay in the top flight for the 2020/2021 campaign. No players had particularly outstanding seasons but the development of Tariq Lamptey was nice to see and Neal Maupay performed well in his first season at the top level of English football.
Burnley: 6/10
League Position: 10th
Top Scorer: Chris Wood (14)
League Cup: 2nd round FA Cup: 4th round
Europe: N/A
Burnley are the football equivalent of an English Breakfast Tea. You more or less always know what you’re going to get, it’s reliable, not too exciting but it does the job. Burnley didn’t exceed nor underwhelm in this campaign. Young winger Dwight McNeil impressed during this campaign and caught the eye of other clubs across the nation. The old-school, defensive tactics of Sean Dyche led Burnley to a very respectable top half finish. No complaints, well done Burnley.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche
Chelsea: 7.5/10
League Position: 4th
Top Scorer: Tammy Abraham (18)
League Cup: 4th round FA Cup: Runners-Up
Champions League: Round of 16
UEFA Super Cup: Runners-Up
Considering Chelsea had a transfer ban going into this season, they performed marvellously. New manager and club legend Frank Lampard used his resources fantastically and instead of opting for older veterans, Lampard gambled on breeding the younger players and it paid off. Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James all played a crucial part in Chelsea’s top four hunt and new signings Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic proved their worth. Despite the exciting new wave of talent at the club, Chelsea’s defence continued to be a problem throughout the season. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had the worst shots on target to goal ratio and they continually faced problems at left-back and centre-back. All in all, it was a good season for The Blues.
Crystal Palace: 5/10
League Position: 14th
Top Scorer: Jordan Ayew (9)
League Cup: 2nd round FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: N/A
Only one team scored less than Crystal Palace the whole season but they still came 12th which is a testament to their solid defence and tight knit tactics. Palace finished in a respectable position in the league, not really surprising anyone and successfully stayed away from any relegation fears throughout the season. Not bad from Palace but attacking options and a creative midfielder being signed this summer is an absolute must!
Patrick van Aanholt scoring the winner at Old Trafford
Everton: 5.5/10
League Position: 12th
Top Scorer: Richarlison &
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (15 each)
League Cup: Quarter-Finals FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: N/A
Everton’s season started rather dismally, regularly finding themselves narrowly above the relegation zone. They weren’t helped by a horrific Andre Gomes injury and the season continued to worsen. After a 5-2 drubbing at Anfield in early December, manager Marco Silva was sacked and replaced with three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti. Boosted by the Italians arrival, Everton went on a hot spell through the festive fixtures inspired by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison and from that point onwards they performed acceptably for the rest of the season. Everton did find themselves facing some problems however which Ancelotti will have to deal with over the ‘summer’ transfer window. Everton’s ageing midfield consistently performed below what a club of that magnitude would desire. Attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson was once an excellent creative force but it seems he will now need replacing. If Ancelotti can sign a right-back, two midfielders and a back-up goalkeeper to provide competition for the erratic Jordan Pickford, the Toffees will look a real force next season!
Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Leicester: 7/10
League Position: 5th
Top Scorer: Jamie Vardy (23)
League Cup: Semi-Finals
FA Cup: Quarter-Finals
Europe: N/A
For a long time Leicester were the closest team to Liverpool in the title race but they deteriorated as the campaign ran its course. Jamie Vardy was at his best and despite people thinking they would be weakened by Harry Maguire’s departure, a commendable replacement in Caglar Soyuncu arose and immediately became a fan favourite. Leicester managed to beat Southampton 0-9, the joint highest score ever in Premier League history which is a marvellous achievement. Although they were in the Top 4 for a long time, Leicester did well to qualify for Europe and have a few cup runs.
Ben Chilwell and Demarai Gray
Liverpool: 9/10
League Position: 1st
Top Scorer: Mohamed Salah (23)
League Cup: Quarter-Finals FA Cup: 5th round
Champions League: Round of 16
FA Community Shield: Runners-Up
FIFA Club World Cup: Winners
UEFA Super Cup: Winners
For a long period of the season, it appeared that Liverpool could have the best season ever by a Premier League side. Liverpool started the season incredibly. The magic of their front three, Mo Salah, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane could not stop scoring. Their tenacious full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold helped keep opposing attackers at bay as well as putting up ridiculous assist number. Defender Virgil Van Dijk proved why he’s quite possibly the worlds best as he dominated every attacker in the Premier League! Liverpool only dropped TWO points by the end of February, 29 games in! Unfortunately for Liverpool, this kind of form is not sustainable and it resulted in Liverpool falling short in other competitions. Whilst `Liverpool’s first team were winning the Club World Cup in Doha, their second team made up of youngsters lost 5-0 to Aston Villa in the League Cup. A jaded Liverpool side lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup and they failed to retain the Champions League, losing to Atletico Madrid before the season halted due to Covid-19. As the season resumed, Liverpool inevitably wrapped it up and won their first Premier League title with an insane 99 point tally. After they’d won it, Liverpool seemed to become relaxed about their campaign, dropping several points and club captain Jordan Henderson getting injured along the way. All in all, it was a tremendous campaign from Liverpool.
Manchester City: 8/10
League Position: 2nd
Top Scorer: Raheem Sterling (31)
League Cup: Winners
FA Cup: Semi-Finals
Champions League: Quarter-Finals
FA Community Shield: Winners
This was a very good season from Manchester City, don’t get me wrong, however it didn’t match the high standards that Pep Guardiola has set at the club over the last two seasons. Most importantly, they failed to retain the Premier League title, although this was inevitable after around ten matchweeks due to the sheer brilliance of Liverpool. City lost games that fans would never expect them to, away at Norwich, at home AND away to Wolves, away to Southampton and it seemed their league position was sealed from October. Star defender Aymeric Laporte was injured for a large portion of the season and when he returned, it was clear that he was what City had missed. Due to the brilliance of their talented squad, in particular Kevin de Bruyne the Belgian midfield maestro, City managed to retain the League Cup and Community Shield as well as still attain 81 points and score 102 league goals. Raheem Sterling proved to the world why he is world class, Riyad Mahrez bossed the wing position and the emergence of young Spanish defender Eric Garcia and silky English attacking midfielder Phil Foden was great to see as well. Unfortunately, City couldn’t beat Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the FA Cup and lost catastrophically to Lyon in the Champions `League, failing to reach the Semi-Finals once again.
Manchester United: 7/10
League Position: 3rd
Top Scorer: Anthony Martial (23)
League Cup: Semi-Finals FA Cup: Semi-Finals
Europe: Europa League Semi-Final
After Manchester United’s worst Premier League start ever, the Red Devils did fantastically well to qualify for the Champions League. Star midfielder Paul Pogba was injured for the majority of the season and several injuries to Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial also provided issues as well. United lost games to Watford, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle all before losing to Burnley in January. After such a dreadful run of results, United needed a creative spark and they signed midfielder £47m Bruno Fernandes who revitalised their campaign. Fernandes didn’t lose a Premier League game and immediately took the Red Devils on an 11 match unbeaten streak including wins over Chelsea and Manchester City before the season was halted. After the season resumed, Solskjaer found his best team. Wan-Bissaka was immense in defense and faith in Mason Greenwood proved worthwhile as the 18 year old ripped up the league. Despite having a strong first team, United lacked in squad depth and the jaded squad couldn’t overcome Chelsea in the FA Cup or Sevilla in the Europa League.
Newcastle: 5.5/10
League Position: 13th
Top Scorer: Miguel Almiron (8)
League Cup: 2nd round FA Cup: Quarter-Finals
Europe: N/A
Due to the arrival of Steve Bruce, Newcastle were written off by most before the season even began. However Newcastle secured a strong position in the league and never were threatened by relegation. Despite club record signing Joelinton being quite possibly the biggest flop of the season, new boy Allan Saint-Maximin dazzled defences on the wing and memorable wins over `Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham meant Newcastle can be proud of their season. They have a solid foundation, especially with Martin Dubravka, Jamal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez. In order to progress, Newcastle need to sign a proven goalscorer as their top goalscorer only scored eight goals in all competitions.
Fan Favourite Allan Saint-Maximin
Norwich: 2/10
League Position: 20th
Top Scorer: Teemu Pukki (11)
League Cup: 2nd round FA Cup: Quarter-Finals
Europe: N/A
A promising start to Norwich’s season saw Teemu Pukki soar to the top of the goalscorers charts and a huge 3-2 win over Manchester City showed that they were a side full of potential. Unfortunately, young talents Jamal Lewis, Max Aarons and Todd Cantwell couldn’t manage to keep Norwich afloat and they sunk to the bottom of the table. Tim Krul was one of the best goalkeepers in the league in the 2019/20 season and without him Norwich wouldn’t won a single game. They did manage to beat Tottenham in their own backyard to progress in the FA Cup which was a huge achievement. With Norwich’s young squad, expect them to be back soon!
Sheffield United: 7/10
League Position: 9th
Top Scorer: Lys Mousset and
Oliver McBurnie (6)
League Cup: 3rd round FA Cup: Quarter-Finals
Europe: N/A
For a newly promoted side, Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United were brilliant. They were hard to break down and they knew how to win games. They don’t have a particular stand out player and the squad comradery is fantastic. Sheffield United should sign, like Newcastle, a proven goalscorer as well as a creative midfielder to help bring more goals to an otherwise extremely solid team.
David McGoldrick scoring vs Chelsea
Southampton 5.5/10
League Position: 11th
Top Scorer: Danny Ings (25)
League Cup: 4th round FA Cup: 4th round
Europe: N/A
Southampton let in 15% of the goals they conceded during the entire Premier League season in just one game against Leicester when they lost 0-9 at St Mary’s. Despite the abysmal result, the Saints stuck with Ralph Hassenhutl and they thrived later in the season, in particular after football returned from the break for Covid-19. Danny Ings was excellent for Southampton, scoring 25 goals over the course of the season.
Danny Ings, Southampton’s top scorer
Tottenham Hotspur: 6/10
League Position: 5th
Top Scorer: Harry Kane (24)
League Cup: 3rd round FA Cup: 5th round
Europe: Champions League Round of 16
After serial winner Jose Mourinho arrived, there was a huge upturn in form after what had been a dismal start under Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs went from 14th place to 6th, qualifying for the Europa League. New signing Giovani Lo Celso proved to be a great signing for Tottenham although club record signing Tanguy Ndombele hasn’t yet demonstrated his full potential. Once again Harry Kane was Tottenham’s top scorer and Heung-Min Son also had a brilliant campaign, being one of two players to score and assist ten goals in the league. Spurs however were disappointing once again in the cups. Under Pochettino, they lost to Colchester in the 3rd round and under Mourinho they lost to Norwich in the FA Cup. They never convinced in the Champions League as they lost 2-7 to Bayern Munich and failed to score against RB Leipzig in the Champions League Round of 16. Mourinho didn’t have a full season in the 2019/20 campaign so expect Spurs to rise up to the challenge of a trophy next season under his leadership.
Watford 2.5/10
League Position: 19th
Top Scorer: Danny Ings (10)
League Cup: 4th round FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: N/A
By the 6th December, Watford hadn’t exited the relegation zone once and having sacked Quique Sanchez Flores and Javi Gracia, they appointed Nigel Pearson. Pearson made an instant impact, beating Manchester United and taking the Hornets on a six match unbeaten streak, leading them out of the relegation zone. After stunning the previously unbeaten Liverpool at Vicarage Road in February thanks to a fantastic team performance including magic from Ismaila Sarr and Troy Deeney, it seemed Watford’s fate was sealed. Watford were narrowly hovering above the relegation zone with two games ago when they made the decision to sack Nigel Pearson, the man who took them out of the relegation zone. They lost their final two games, demoted back to the Championship for the first time in five years and everyone remains puzzled as to why Pearson was sacked.
Ismaila Sarr celebrating his second goal for Watford in the 3-0 win over Liverpool
West Ham 4.5/10
League Position: 16th
Top Scorer: Michail Antonio (10)
League Cup: 3rd round FA Cup: 4th round
Europe: N/A
West Ham went through two purple patches during the season and as a result of that they are still in the top flight. Six games into the season, it seemed West Ham could be contenders for Europe as they garnered 11 points out of a possible 18. This hope was short-lived and West Ham went on a period of 23 games where they won just four times which saw manager Manuel Pellegrini leave the club to be replaced with David Moyes. Moyes didn’t have an immediate impact, he oversaw the club fall into the drop zone for three consecutive matchweeks. The signing of Jarrod Bowen from Hull helped West Ham to start carving out more results and after Project Restart, West Ham went through their second purple patch. With the signing of 6″4 midfielder Tomas Soucek, the Hammers picked up 12 points from their last six games and comfortably survived. Declan Rice demonstrated why he’s so sought after and Michail Antonio could not be tamed, he scored the most goals of anyone after the restart.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 6.5/10
League Position: 7th
Top Scorer: Raul Jimenez (27)
League Cup: 4th round FA Cup: 3rd round
Europe: Europa League Quarter-Finals
During their 383 day season, Wolves performed valiantly. They played the most games out of any team in the league and endured a campaign that lasted for over a year! Somehow, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men never seemed to tire and just kept going from strength to strength. Raul Jimenez bossed Europe and the Premier League and Adama Traore was possibly the most improved player of the year as he teared defences apart week in week out with his mesmerising speed and dribbling ability. Wolves gave every team in the league a run for their money when they played and they beat Manchester City twice! Pedro Neto also appeared to be an excellent young prospect, Diogo Jota had a good season and Portuguese Ruben Neves was consistently superb. Their season came to an end when they failed to beat Sevilla, the eventual winners of the Europa League. Wolves were fantastic this season and possess a first-rate squad to develop next year.
Adama Traore celebrates scoring against Manchester City
If you are a seasoned professional in the Premier League, you need to keep on top of your diet in order to stay at the level of fitness required to last through a match and daily training. Premier League players need the best food in terms of nutritional value and also taste which is where chefs like Simone Bertaggia come in. We were fortunate enough to be able to talk to Simone and he gave us an insight of what Premier League football players really eat and how he takes care of their nutritional necessities.
An example of Simone Bertaggia’s healthy but delicious looking food that he serves to Premier League footballers (photo from Instagram: @Chefinho85)
Simone Bertaggia cooks predominantly for Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy as well as preparing meals for many other renowned Premier League stars including Fabinho and Bernardo Silva.
Interested to know about how Simone started to cook for such a vast array of footballers, Simone told us that he hasn’t always worked in the football industry but he was longing to work in it.
“I used to work in a Michelin star restaurant and a hotel first. Then I literally dropped myself into the football world… and I love it! Day by day I learn always something new.” Following Bertaggia’s transition into the world of football, he went to AS Monaco to work as a chef for the club. Simone explained, “In 2016 I was the head chef of the AS Monaco. It was absolutely amazing, great team, great players such as Falcao, Mbappe, Bernardo, Lemar, Fabinho and obviously Ben Mendy”
Another beautiful looking dish of Bertaggia’s (photo from Instagram @Chefinho85)
After his tenure at the successful 2017 Monaco side, Simone moved to Manchester in the summer of 2017 along with Benjamin Mendy when he signed for Manchester City. The £50m left-back wanted to bring along Simone and cited him as “The best cook in the world”. High praise! When Mendy got injured shortly after he signed for City, he went to Barcelona for his recovery. When talking to Sky Sports about his recovery, he mentioned that he had taken Simone with him. “I’ve brought my chef Simone Bertaggia with me. He stops around the corner from the flat I’m staying in in the city centre. I built up a good relationship with him when he was head chef at Monaco last season. When I left Monaco, I said to him ‘you’re coming with me’, and he did”.
Benjamin Mendy in action for Manchester City
All of Simone’s dishes look impeccable. They look to be nutritious and also delicious which makes him the perfect fit to be a chef for sportspeople. He often posts pictures of his mouth-watering food on his Instagram (@Chefinho85). It also appears that he is a great companion to Mendy. He has been filmed doing various challenged with the French left-back and often attends the games at The Etihad.
When asked if he has a signature dish, Simone told us “I’m Italian. I like cooking pasta and fish {as it is} clean, tasty and full of colours! Probably my signature would be a tomato risotto with bufala cheese cream and tuna tartare seasoned with red basil”. Sounds amazing!
Obviously, almost the entire planet at the moment has been stuck at home or at least not been able to go out to train, play football or go to restaurants. As a result of this, I’m sure lots of you reading this amongst many other people have been looking for healthy recipes to cook during this quarantine. So, if you are looking to throw it down in the kitchen and eat some healthy and delicious food, look no further! Simone has suggested a dish that is easy to make and is often made for his Premier League clients.
“A nice warm quinoa mixed with tossed veggies, seasoned with curcuma and fresh herbs served with a tasty seabass fillet cooked in the oven. Tasty, fresh, easy and lean!” If you want to eat like a professional footballer, here is what you have to do!
Ingredients:
Vegetables of choice (snap peas, broccoli, peas, carrots – anything)
Quinoa (or rice can be used as a substitute if needed)
A fillet of seabass
Spices and herbs or choice
Olive oil
Thyme and rosemary (not needed but nice)
Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 180*C.
On a baking tray, drizzle some olive oil, put on some thyme and rosemary and put on the (washed) seabass fillet.
Season your fish however you like. You could pour on some lemon juice, sprinkle on some salt and pepper or however you would like.
Put the fish in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, cook your quinoa. If you have a packet, simply place into the microwave. If not, put your quinoa in a pot with water and boil until all of the water is absorbed (10-20 minutes).
Let the quinoa rest for five minutes.
Chop your vegetables and place them into a pan with a little bit of olive oil.
Mix the quinoa with the vegetables and stir until combined.
Plate it up and place the fish neatly on top.
Season how you enjoy it.
Bon appetit!
There you have it, how to eat like a footballer in lockdown. If you make this dish, let us know on Twitter @HTOrangeUK or Instagram @halftimeorangeuk.
Thank you Simone for doing this interview with us. Your food looks magnificent and thanks for the quarantine recipe suggestion as well!
With the Bundesliga the earliest major league to return following the mid-season hiatus, many have had the fortune of watching players they may have never seen before. Personally, I’ve learned about the state of the leagues and the players and I would like share eight players that may fall into the category of ‘underrated’ or ‘bargain buy’ These eight players are definitely talents that Premier League teams definitely can target, as the enticement of playing in England is far greater than anywhere else. Without further ado, here is eight players to watch in the Bundesliga.
Filip Kostic – Frankfurt
The 27-year-old Serbian has been an impressive performer for Frankfurt for a while now, definitely falling into the bracket of an under the radar type player. His ability to play several positions including winger, wide midfielder and wing back has showcased his versatility that is so synonymous with German football. Playing in multiple positions is something can help any team, giving the manager tactical flexibility whilst not surrendering any quality. His qualities include being a solid all-rounder, with a high work rate and good output; he boasts 9 goals and 13 assists in all competitions. At 27, the time is now to move from a Frankfurt team struggling after the losses of key players such as Luka Jovic, Sebastian Haller and Ante Rebic.
Marcus Thuram – Borussia Monchengladbach
Next up is Marcus Thuram. Son of French legend Lilian Thuram, he plays for Borussia Monchengladbach and has been a breakout star this year. A unique forward who has a blend of physical and technical attributes. Standing at 6ft 3, he is certainly a powerful forward, one who can bully defenders to either score or assist. Not many players can offer what he can, and clubs should be eyeing up the forward to bulk up their attacking front lines. This season has seen him produce 10G and 8A in the league and is a player who could certainly lead the line in a better team
Kevin Mbabu – Wolfsburg
The Swiss right back has impressed in a Wolfsburg team currently in 6th place in the league. He was signed from Young Boys after winning back to back titles, and even caught the eye of Jose Mourinho when he was manager at Manchester United. His pace is undoubtably his biggest asset, after all he’s been clocked sprinting at 36kph, the same pace that Alphonso Davies just got clocked at for Bayern Munich. He’s had to prove himself and work his way into contention after not making it at senior football until his time with Young Boys. Since he’s come into the Wolfsburg team, he’s made the right back spot his own. He continues to improve, and his pace would be an asset anywhere.
Christoph Baumgartner – Hoffenheim
More of a young talent for the future who is currently plying his trade at Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old Austrian has broken into the starting line-up this season has been compared to the likes of Michael Ballack and even Kai Havertz in terms of playing style. Scoring 6 times at a rate of 0.43 times per 90 is very good for an attacking midfielder, as well as averaging 0.53 goals per 90 and averaging 3.38 shots per 90. The ability to find space between the lines and link up well with other attackers is a key trait. He’s also technically proficient and good with either foot. He definitely has a bright future and a big move down the line after he’s gained more experience will definitely happen.
Milot Rashica – Werder Bremen
A forward who is certainly ready to take the next step up is Milot Rashica. The Kosovo international plays for Werder Bremen who have struggled this year, but he’s starred with 10G and 5A. The winger also scored a brilliant solo goal to open the scoring against Bayern Munich in the away game before his side crumbled to an eventual 6-1 loss. The winger has tremendous pace, energy and presses extremely well. He is a very direct player with 2.6 shots and 1.5 key passes per game and would be relatively cheap.
Robin Quaison – Mainz 05
The Swedish international is another ‘under the radar’ type player, but he is certainly ready to make the step up to a better team, where I believe he can have a positive effect. He’s starred in a struggling Mainz team and he is a key player for the national team with 7 goals in 15 games for Sweden. With 12 goals in a poor team, whilst playing in an attacking midfield role, he can feature on the wings, or up front. But usually featured as an attacking midfielder, his possesses good technique and could flourish around better players.
Edmond Tapsoba – Bayer Leverkusen
Perhaps a more common name now, since joining Bayer Leverkusen in January, he has been an ever-present feature in the Leverkusen team at CB and is equally comfortable in a back three or in a traditional centre back pairing. Possessing tremendous pace, strength and calmness on the ball, he has all the attributes of the modern-day centre back. A high pass completion rate of 89% as well 86% of his long passes being completed, as well as more tackles per 90 than Laporte, Van Dijk and De Ligt. At only 21, it is likely he’ll stay another season at Leverkusen having only just joined, but it is likely he’ll have plenty of suitors next year.
Denis Zakaria – Borussia Monchengladbach
Monchengladbach have built a team with a lot of talented players, but one midfielder has made a big difference this year and that is Denis Zakaria. The Swiss international is the strong, ball winning midfielder that every team needs, averaging more tackles than N’Golo Kante whilst managing 1.9 long balls per game and has an impressive 87.4% pass success rate. He has anchored the midfielder extremely well and is capable of powering forward with the ball and at only 23, he’s going to get better and better. He has been linked with Manchester United and Liverpool – but he is very committed to Monchengladbach so it is unlikely we’ll see him move for at least another season.
“When I was younger I loved {Cristiano} Ronaldo (and still do)“
Aaron Skinner on which player(s) have inspired him
Having already signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur after only six months at the club, it is clear Aaron Skinner is a talented young player. Skinner is a defender who signed for Tottenham in November 2019 after impressing during a short trial period. Skinner previously had played for Bury’s academy for six years and had helped them to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup. Recently, having clearly shone in Spurs’ youth set-up, Skinner signed his first pro contract with the Lilywhites which is a testament to his hard work and dedication.
Aaron Skinner in the 2019/20 Tottenham Hotspur kit
We had the fortune of interviewing Aaron and we delved into what life is like at Tottenham’ academy and if he has the opportunity of training with some of the regular first team players. Skinner told us “My time at Spurs so far has been really enjoyable”. Skinner isn’t the first Spurs player to rave about their academy. Recently, we interviewed Polish goalkeeper Kasper Kurylowicz who also spoke positively about his experience at the club. He continued, “I’ve loved every minute of going in and training and playing with the quality of players that we have every day as it’s helped me improve massively which is the main thing for me personally.”
On whether or not he has had the opportunity to work with some of the more seasoned professionals at the club, Skinner said “I have been lucky enough to train with the first team and I was really impressed with there intensity which showed me the levels I have to get to if I am going to be with them“. In the last year, academy starlet Japhet Tanganga has broken into the first team squad and manager Jose Mourinho has praised him very highly in interviews. As well as Tanganga, right back Kyle Walker-Peters has also established himself in the first team squad in the last two seasons although he is currently on loan at Southampton.
Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga who caught the eye of many football fans this season after a fabulous performance against league leaders Liverpool
Talking about whether he looks up to these players who have bridged the gap in recent seasons, Skinner admitted that “it inspires me as I see people who I have played”.
We asked Aaron which players inspire him or if he bases his personal game from any particular player. Although Skinner didn’t name any defenders, he did name another player who has worked his way out of the Tottenham academy and has been dubbed ‘Little Iniesta’ by Mourinho’s predecessor Mauricio Pochettino! Skinner told us, “When I was younger I loved {Cristiano} Ronaldo (and still do) for how hard he worked in order to design himself to be one of if not the best in the world but in terms of actual play style I obviously look at Harry Winks because I see him every week and like to see how he controls the play and speed of play”.
Aaron Skinner in action for Tottenham Hotspur U18
As we often ask in these interviews, we were interested to see Skinner’s goals and where he desires to be in ten years time. He told us “In football I don’t think you ever really know but I would like to think I {will be} playing in the premier league and I believe that if I continue to work as I have been doing to improve everyday that that will happen”. Skinner has a strong mentality and we are looking forward to seeing his career develop in the years to come!
Luis Campos, has recently been linked to Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but what does his role actually consist of?
Luis Campos at Monaco
The 55 year old is currently the director of football at Lille OSC and his aptitude for finding talent has attracted the biggest European clubs. Campos has exceeded expectations on multiple occasions, most notably at AS Monaco and Lille OSC. During the 2012/13 season, he also worked under José Mourinho as a scout and tactical analyst.
In 2013, Luis Campos was appointed as an advisor to club president Vadim Vasilyev at AS Monaco in Ligue 1. Armed with the library of data on young players on his computer, an iPad and a hefty transfer budget, Campos looked to help Monaco reach the top of Ligue 1. Vasilyev embarked on impressive player investments amounting to €150million, buying proven talents including the likes of:
Radamel Falcao (€50million from Atlético Madrid), James Rodriguez (€45million from Porto) and Joao Moutinho (€25million from Porto).
James Rodriguez signing for AS Monaco, a Luis Campos recommendation
It was clear that this lavish spending was not sustainable which in turn allowed Campos the opportunity to shine. With his armoury of player profiles, he began to assemble a large roster of young unknown players, who now are regarded as superstars across Europe. These players all went on to be sold for significant fees reasserting how accomplished Campos is at his job. Throughout his tenure at AS Monaco he brought in various youngsters including:
Fabinho (19 year old for €6 million from Rio Ave), Bernardo Silva (19 year old for €15.75million from Benfica), Tiemoue Bakayoko (19 year old for €8million from Rennes), Thomas Lemar (20 year old for €4million from Caen), Anthony Martial (17 year old for €5million from Lyon), Benjamin Mendy (21 year old for €13million from Marseille).
Luis Campos speaking at a press conference
These young players, aided by experienced talents brought in for cheap fees, took Ligue 1 by storm, finishing 2nd in their return to the league. However, in the 2016/17 season, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Youri Tielemans joining the squad, the project came together and AS Monaco pipped giants Paris Saint Germain to the Ligue 1 title. They were also the fairytale story of the Champions League, reaching the semi-final knocking out Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund and most memorably Manchester City in a thrilling 6-6 game, won on away goals.
Although Campos had already left for Lille, it was clear that his blueprints for the team were an integral factor to AS Monaco’s success. The talents he brought in generated almost €1billion in player sales most notably:
James Rodriguez (€80million to Real Madrid), Thomas Lemar (€70million to Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (€60million to Manchester United) and Benjamin Mendy (€55million to Manchester City). In player sales, the club generated a profit of roughly €350million from just those investments.
Campos says that finding Fabinho gave him the most personal pleasure due to his continued success so far in his career. He explained “I remember Fabinho at a small club in Brazil at 18 years old and now he is a champion of Europe.”
Campos later in 2017 went on to work as the director of football for struggling Lille OSC. At the time, the Northern based French club had scraped survival in Ligue 1, finishing only one place above the relegation zone. The Portuguese maestro then began to work his magic.
Given Lille OSC’s financial status, they would not be able to spend as freely as AS Monaco, which gave Campos a new challenge. He looked to bring in cheaper players, focusing on youngsters. He brought in many talents that are now known around the world and are attracting top European clubs. This group of players include:
Nicolas Pepe (22 year old for €10million from Angers), Boubakary Soumare (18 year old for free from Paris Saint Germain B), Rafael Leão (18 year old for free from Sporting Lisbon) and Victor Osimhen (20 year old for €12million from RSC Charleroi). The team experienced a massive resurgence and in the 2018/19 season they finished second behind Paris Saint Germain and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. This feat was extremely impressive considering they were almost relegated the season before.
Campos described his time at Lille so far with a positive reflection, saying “My time at Lille has given me big pleasure, we were struggle and two years later we were playing Champions League football, even making a profit with great young players.”
Luis Campos sat next to Spurs manager Jose Mourinho who he has described as a ‘brother to him’
Already, Lille OSC have made enormous profits on Campos’ signings, most notably Nicolas Pepe. The winger was sold for €80million to Premier League giants Arsenal. Victor Osimhen is also an impressive find, his market value has increased to €60million after just one season at Lille OSC. The young striker is attracting the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
It looks increasingly likely that Campos will join the Portuguese revolution at Tottenham Hotspur. He describes Spurs boss, José Mourinho as “the best manager in the world” and explains that “José is like a brother to me”. Recently, Campos explained that he loves doing cheap deals which makes him a perfect fit for the North London based club, given their financial situation.
As one of the most prized possessions in Europe, Lille OSC fans know that they are lucky to have him. His mantra is that “Videos are very important but seeing players live, the emotion and getting a sense of the player makes the difference”. Given this, his job demands worldwide travel and last year his hard work was recognised by his airline that gave him a prize for travelling the equivalent distance of 10 times around the globe in 12 months!
With the announcement that the Premier League is returning in less than three weeks, excitement has intensified regarding the first games back which reportedly includes Manchester City vs Arsenal. All teams are going to have their full roster available despite any previous injuries and it is going to make for a thrilling Top 4 battle and a cosmic clash for survival at the bottom. In this article, we are going to share our Team of the Season (so far) and who we think could break in after these last ten games. Tell us who you think should be in the Team of the Season on Twitter here!
Goalkeeper: Alisson – Liverpool
Despite being injured for a number of games early in the season, Allison has had a fantastic season for Liverpool yet again. He’s kept ten clean sheets and boasts an impressive 80.4% save percentage, amongst the best in the league. He has made some outstanding saves and he is in a great position to win the Golden Glove for the second year in a row.
Allison in action for Liverpool in the 2019/20 season
Honourable mentions:
Dean Henderson:The 22 year old goalkeeper on-loan at Sheffield United has enjoyed a marvellous debut season in the Premier League. He has made some truly astonishing saves and has kept ten clean sheets, the second highest in the league. Many Manchester United fans are hoping that Henderson will replace an ageing David De Gea in the years to come.
Nick Pope:Burnley’s English shotstopper leads the Premier League so far for clean sheets and has experienced an excellent campaign with The Clarets.
Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool
The Scouse right-back has just gone from strength to strength over the course of the last few seasons. Alexander-Arnold’s wicked crosses cause mayhem and place fear in the opposition’s penalty area and he has already racked up an enormous 12 assists this season. For a defender, that is truly remarkable!
Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrating scoring against Leicester
Honourable mentions:
Aaron Wan-Bissaka:Manchester United’s £50 million signing has seemed to have made a difference at Old Trafford and has instantly become a fan-favourite. With his menacing pace, he has proved seemingly impossible to beat in a one-on-one situation and he proved this in two brilliant duels against Raheem Sterling!
Ricardo Pereira:Pereira has had a great campaign with Leicester. He does it all. He defends and attacks effortlessly and tirelessly. He has made the most tackles in the Premier League this season and has chipped in with three goals and has created five big chances.
Centre-Backs: Virgil Van-Dijk – Liverpool & Caglar Soyuncu – Leicester
Virgil Van Dijk is undoubtably the best defender in the world. Van Dijk has transformed Liverpool into a decent side to one of the world’s best. This season he has lead Liverpool to the best defensive record in the league and helped them to be on track for the highest points ever achieved. The Dutch defender makes it all look so effortless and he truly is a world class footballer.
Virgil Van Dijk celebrating for `Liverpool
When Leicester sold Harry Maguire to Manchester United for £80 million late in the summer of 2019, there was a collective doubt whether Leicester would be able to replace him with no time left in the window. They weren’t able to buy anyone but that didn’t matter as his replacement was already at the club, Caglar `Soyuncu. With his tough tackling style and commanding style, Leicester fans have become enamoured with Soyuncu. He has impressed during his first season as a starter and he makes it into our Team of The Season (so far).
Caglar Soyuncu playing for Leicester
Honourable mentions:
Harry Maguire:Maguire has been commanding presence in United’s defence and has helped them improve their defensive record. In the ultimate weeks before the postponement of the season, United had really found their feet and started to keep clean sheets more frequently. In the remaining games of the season. Maguire could definitely help United push for a Top 4 finish.
Aymeric Laporte:Laporte wouldn’t make it anywhere near a Team of the Season (so far) as he has been out with injuries for a while. However, despite being injured for a vast amount of the season, Manchester City look so much better with him in their defence and in the remainder of the season he is going to be a key figure for Manchester City.
Left-Back: Andy Robertson – Liverpool
He’s dependable, he’s passionate and he constantly creates chances, what more could you want from a left-back. Robertson has been great this season and has seven assists which for a defender is fantastic.
Andy Robertson in action for Liverpool
Central Midfielders: Jordan Henderson – Liverpool & Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City
Jordan Henderson is everything one could possible desire in a captain. He leads the team well and he is the engine in the heart of the Liverpool side. He makes everything tick. When he was missing in the last few games of the season, it was clear what the team was missing and the impact he truly has was visible. He has experienced his best season to date and he makes it into our team without a shadow of a doubt.
Jordan Henderson playing for Liverpool
Kevin De Bruyne, what a player. For me, he is the best player in the Premier League. The passes that he makes, his powerful shooting, his creativity, he is simply wonderful. This season he has made sixteen assists and with nine games left, this puts him in great stead to break the all-time assists record (20) set by Thierry Henry. He has also scored eight goals and in some matches has carried Manchester City to the win.
Kevin De Bruyne, what a player
Honourable mentions:
Mateo Kovacic:Kovacic has been great to watch this season. He has improved so much and has been a key figure in Chelsea’s midfield.
Bruno Fernandes:What an impact Fernandes has had to this Manchester United side. He drives the team, he sprays passes around, he scores goals and he brings energy to the side. United went from a painful team to watch to an exciting one within the space of two weeks when he signed. In the last games, Fernandes could push United to that Top 4 finish.
Central Attacking Midfield: Jack Grealish – Aston Villa
Playing in a weak side that are constantly fighting for survival, Jack Grealish has been a shining light in an otherwise poor Aston Villa season. His silky dribbling and flair is so enjoyable to watch and it is no surprise he has been relentlessly linked to Manchester United. What a season he has had!
Jack Grealish of Aston Villa
Honourable mentions:
James Maddison:Maddison is a fantastic player and has been good again this season for The Foxes. He creates dozens of chances and is a key player in the Leicester side.
Emiliano Buendia: Playing in a severely depleted team, Buendia has managed to impress with his quality passes and seven assists. He has put up some of the best numbers in the league when it comes to chances created and if Norwich get relegated there is no doubt he will be snapped up by a top flight club in Europe.
Left-Winger: Sadio Mane – Liverpool
Sadio Mane has been truly superb during Liverpool’s title run. He has come up with some important goals and assists and he is their second top scorer with 14 goals. Mane has enjoyed what is probably his best season yet and he has put up a campaign worthy of a Player of the Season nomination.
Sadio Mane celebrating for Liverpool
Honourable mentions:
Marcus Rashford:Rashford has has his most prolific season yet despite being injured since `January. When the season returns, he is likely to break the 20 goal mark, especially now that Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba are going to be playing with him too.
Heung-Min Son: Heung-Min Son has been exceptional this season. When he got injured against Aston Villa, Tottenham’s season crumbled and it showed how crucial he is.
Striker: Jamie Vardy – Leicester
Jamie Vardy has consistently been one of the best striker’s in the league for about five years and this season he leads the scoring charts with 19. He has been key to getting Leicester into 3rd place and I’m sure he’ll break the 25 goals mark once he starts playing again.
Jamie Vardy celebrating for Leicester
Honourable mentions:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:The Gabonese striker is frankly exceptional. He carries Arsenal! Without his goals, Arsenal would be 19th. Of course, this statistic is futile as someone else could have scored the goals but it shows how heavily Arsenal rely of Aubameyang.
Sergio Aguero: If this man never got injured, he would break Alan Shearer’s goal record. He has been brilliant this season and has shown once again why he is one of the best strikers in the world.
Right-Winger: Mohammed Salah – Liverpool
Salah has consistently been outstanding for three seasons now and this season he was no different. He is Liverpool’s top scorer with 16 goals and has six assists as well. The Egyptian King is a class act and he is criminally underrated amongst Premier League watchers.
The Egyptian King celebrates scoring against Manchester City
Honourable mentions:
Riyad Mahrez:Riyad Mahrez is one of my favourite players to watch in the whole world. His dazzling dribbling skills are wonderful and his seven goals and eight assists so far is no mean feat. It’s even more impressive as he has to rotate with Raheem Sterling!
Adama Traore: Is there a better dribbler in the league than this man? His pace makes him one of the deadliest forces in the league and this season, with improvement on his end-product, he has been excellent.
“I always watched Iker Casillas from Real Madrid. I loved watching him as he had a mindset of a winner”
Kacper Kurylowicz on which goalkeeper inspired him when he was younger
Kacper Kurylowicz is an 18 year old keeper playing for the Spurs U18 side. The Polish keeper has been playing in the Tottenham ranks for 7 years and looks to push into first team football.
Kacper has represented the U18 side 11 times this season keeping an impressive four clean sheets. The young Polish goalkeeper has also been in the squad for Tottenham Hotspur’s U19 UEFA Youth League fixtures against Bayern Munich and Olympiacos.
Kacper Kurylowicz warming up for the Tottenham vs PSV Uefa Youth League fixture
We spoke to Kacper and asked him a few questions about his career so far. The keeper described his experience at Spurs, being at the club for many years.
KK: “It’s been a absolute blessing to be able to be a part of such a great club with great players and history, it really has been a dream come true going through the ranks from the age of 11”
Kurylowicz speaks highly about Spurs and the caliber of players in the squad. The first team boasts a variety of world class players including the likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris. We asked Kacper whether he has had a chance to speak to World Cup winner Hugo Lloris and how the French keeper’s success has inspired his game.
KK: “Speaking to all of the keepers you want to get as much from them as possible watching analysing how truly professional they are with everything!”
Kacper Kurylowicz in action for Tottenham’s U18s
Kacper continued by detailing his career ambitions to us.
KK: “A dream would be to play in the Premier League right?! But I would want to see myself playing in the top leagues making the most of whatever chance I have!
Poland is notorious for having a successful goalkeeping department, currently made up by Lukas Fabianski and Wojciech Szczęsny. The latter started his career in North London, like Kurylowicz, and has progressed into one of the finest goalkeepers in the world. Kurylowicz has represented the Polish national team at youth level and he talks about how much of an honour it is.
KK: “It’s always a honour being called up and being a part of the national team being able to represent your country making the family proud.”
Kacper Kurylowicz pictured by Tottenham Hotspur
We also asked Kacper which goalkeepers inspired him when he was younger and also which goalkeepers inspire him in the current day and age. He also described why each keeper inspired him.
KK: “When I was growing up I always watched Iker Casillas from Real Madrid. I loved watching him as he had a mindset of a winner even after a mistake he would make sure he saved the next one! Now as I’m older Hugo {Lloris} 100% for his great shot stopping ability. But also Ederson I love his confidence on the ball!
Kurylowicz’s positive attitude and ability should enable him to make more appearances for the U23’s next year and push into professional football in the years to come. Good luck in your footballing career, Kacper!
Liam Delap on which footballer(s) have inspired him
Liam Delap is an exciting prospect in the Manchester City academy. The young English striker had made an impressive start at the Sky Blues since his move from Derby County in July 2019. He is the son of the esteemed former Premier League midfielder, Rory Delap who was especially notable for his long-range throw ins. Despite this, Liam has a different style of play and uses his skill on the ball and deadly shooting ability to create for his team.
The 17 year old has had a prominent starting role in City’s U18 side scoring seven goals and assisting seven times in just in 11 games. He has even been part of the Manchester City U23 side getting an assist off the bench against Arsenal.
Delap’s bulldozing runs and toughness on the ball makes him a real threat at the top. A direct runner with a keen eye for goal. His bullish running makes him a real handful for defenders. This was shown in his impressive goal against Stoke where he picked up the ball, wide on the halfway line and used his agility and pace to beat defenders, weaving through and finishing in the bottom corner.
Liam Delap scoring against Stoke
We asked Liam a few questions about his time at Manchester City and his hopes for the future. Delap could only shower City with praise about his transition over from Derby.
LD: “It’s been really good, settled in really well and had a great first season”.
Delap had a fantastic spell at Derby which earned him a move to City. He has had a great season this year winning the U18 Premier League Cup in a ruthless 6-0 win. Delap spoke about the young City sides success in the cup.
LD: “It was probably my best moment at City as we got rewarded for all the hard work and how well we played in the games in the competition”.
Liam Delap celebrating a goal for Manchester City
There is no doubt that Liams aggression and strength played a big role in their cup run. Liam revealed that one of the greatest footballers ever inspired him.
LD: “I’ve always looked up to Cristiano Ronaldo”
Liam’s performances for the U18’s will put him at great stead for next season hopefully with the U23 squad. He has shown what he is capable of and can only go up from here. Liam also revealed that in the future he would like to be playing “Premier League football”.
Given his impressive performances, not just in the U18 Premier League but also in international tournaments. Liam also spoke about his experience playing for England at youth level.
LD: “I think it’s a great experience and a huge honour and reward for your hard work so it’s nice to be recognised that you’re doing well”.
His success on the international level has been no surprise, even taking home the Golden Boot from the Mercedes Benz Aegean Tournament in 2019 scoring 4 goals. His outstanding performances in Turkey were a testament to his great skill and most notably his pace and power.
Liam Delap in his Manchester City strip
Liam’s attitude gives him the platform to improve to reach his aims for his career. His attitude has impressed the city coaches and he looks to improve his touch to suit the style that City have adopted under Pep Guardiola.
The young striker had a great ten year spell at Derby and at the age of 16 helped the U18 side to win the Premier League North title. It is reported that Liam’s move to City came with a large transfer fee which really shows the potential and ability that the young striker poses.
Liam has been tipped to go far and it is clear that he has the skill to do so. Next season, Delap should feature more often for the U23 side and hopefully join academy graduates Phil Foden, Eric Garcia in featuring for the first team as he unquestionably has the ability to achieve this.
Half-Time Orange 