DAENA BODIE will be joining the Footballcv academy next month. The Vale Rec youth star (pictured) will be the third Guernsey player to join the academy, which is designed to develop footballers in their bid to turn professional.
He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Kieron Mahon, the North player who became the first of last year’s players to sign a professional contract, when he was offered terms by Northampton Town last month.
And Bodie admits that that is his ultimate goal. ‘I want to turn professional at the end of it. Even if it isn’t with one of the biggest clubs, I just want to be playing football,’ he said.
He will leave the island to start his pre-season training next month, before the academy begins properly in September. Despite his obvious excitement about travelling to the UK, Bodie still plans to play for Vale Rec whenever he is back home.
It was at the Corbet Field last year that he was awarded the club’s Youth Two player of the year award and the players’ player of the year honour.
‘When I am back in the island I want to play as much as possible for Vale Rec.
‘I just want to be playing football as much as possible and I also want to show people what I can do and what I have learned,’ he said.
Bodie has already had interest from top English clubs.
He had trials at Southampton last year, but didn’t quite make the grade.
He has also been approached by both Leicester City and Leyton Orient, but in both cases they said it would be difficult to follow Bodie’s progress while he was in Guernsey.
Bodie’s mother Sandra hopes that this interest will change to something more concrete now that her son is going away.
‘We have let both clubs know that Daena is at the CV academy.
‘Hopefully they will monitor his progress a bit more closely now,’ she said.
Article posted on 9th July, 2008 - 2.29pm
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