Young Soccer Players Play with England Stars

NORWALK, Conn. – The Norwalk-based Everton America CT premier soccer club welcomed its official partner from the English Premier League and also had several players work as ball boys for a Major League Soccer game in Philadelphia.

Ray Hall, the Everton Academy manager of over 20 years, and head coach Neil Dewsnip visited the Norwalk group. Everton CT's coaching staff was able to watch Everton FC UK under 18s train and play twice. More than a hundred club members traveled south to see Everton's first team in action against the Philadelphia Union.

Everton ball boys for the game included Alex Currie, Old Greenwich; Frankie Lugossy, Weston; Max Potter, New Canaan; Eric Pinaud, Norwalk; Cameron Riach, Weston; and Luis Karaiskos, Norwalk. Wilton's Ian Hoffmann and New Canaan's Eli Hilt served as player escorts.

"It was awesome,'' said Hilt, who is nine years old. "I got to lead Everton out on to the field and sing the national anthem, I had a chance to see what it is like for the professionals. I hope I can do that someday as a player.”

Dewsnip returned to Norwalk and ran two clinics on the club's fields. "The boys did great, they worked hard in the heat, were technically sound and showed great ability,'' Dewsnip said.

For the players and coaching staff of Everton CT it was another tremendous opportunity to learn from the best.

For coach John Davies, himself an ex-Everton youth player and head coach of three Everton America CT boys’ teams, it was another opportunity to see the English Premier League club's methods up close. "We visited the academy in the U.K. back in December, which was tremendous and now to see the club over here, in our own back yard, it gave us another opportunity to learn from the best,” Davies said.

Photo ID: Front row: Ian Hoffmann, Wilton, and Eli Hilt, New Canaan. Back row (left to right): Alex Currie, Old Greenwich; Frankie Lugossy, Weston; Max Potter, New Canaan; Eric Pinaud, Norwalk; Cameron Riach, Weston; Luis Karaiskos, Norwalk. 

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