Year 8 pupils Gus and Ryan selected for ISFA U14

Congratulations to year 8 pupils Gus and Ryan for their outstanding achievement in being selected to represent the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) at National U14 Level. This accomplishment is truly remarkable, considering they were chosen from a pool of over 150 boys. ISFA provides opportunities for talented young footballers from independent schools across the UK to compete at various levels.

Gus said: “I am so excited to have been chosen to be part of the ISFA U14 team. It is such an honour and it will be a great experience playing alongside boys from all over the country. It will also be a difficult but rewarding challenge competing against other strong National teams and academies. I think that the level of football will be very high not only in our team, but also in the teams that we will be playing against. I will also get to see how different players from around the country play in different styles, meaning that the ISFA team will have to adapt since most of the team haven’t played with each other before.

“I represented the North West U13 ISFA team a few weeks ago when we played a tournament in Shrewsbury against the other regional teams. Approximately 160 boys took part in the tournament and we all stayed for three nights at Shrewsbury School’s boarding houses. It was a brilliant time with a lot of competitive football and good fun off the playing fields. Football is my favourite sport. I have played it since I was 3 years old and I love training with my team and playing fixtures at the weekend. It’s competitive, strategic and skilful. I particularly enjoy playing when there is a crowd as the atmosphere is exciting and it prompts me to want to play the best I can.

He added: “Playing football for MGS is brilliant and it is the highlight of my school experience so far because the team consists of my best friends, which makes it even more enjoyable. One of the best memories I have playing for school was when we played at St. George’s Park, the English Football Association's national football training centre and where the first team prepare for their senior international fixtures. The facilities and pitches were amazing and I felt very lucky to be playing there. Unfortunately, however, we lost in the final. Nevertheless, I had a really positive experience. I also love playing football for school because sometimes my classmates come and watch the team to support us. This makes it more fun because of the cheering and the amount of joy and encouragement they bring to the team from the side lines.”

Ryan said: “I first heard about the ISFA representative team when I was nominated for trials for the North-West region during the Michaelmas term. After this I attended the ISFA regional festival at Shrewsbury School in April alongside five of my MGS team-mates. Shortly afterwards I was very pleased to learn that I had been selected for the ISFA National U14’s squad for the 2024-25 season. ISFA stands for the “Independent Schools Football Association” and the representative team is made up of the best players from private schools all over the country. I’m excited for the training camps and matches which will see us play against teams such as Welsh Schools and professional club academies such as Leicester City and Arsenal. I’m also looking forward to having the chance to make new friends from other parts of the country, and to ask them what life is like in their boarding schools such as Eton and Dulwich College.

“Over the years a number of famous footballers have represented ISFA such as Frank Lampard, Fraser Forster, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Patrick Bamford and Quinton Fortune. I’d never actually heard of the latter but my Dad insists he played alongside him when he represented the ISFA National U16 XI in 1992 during his time at MGS, and he went on to play for Atlético Madrid and Manchester United (Quinton Fortune that is, not my Dad). For the past three years I have been signed to Oldham Athletic’s EFL Academy, training three times a week and playing matches every Sunday against other professional club academies. Oldham are currently in the National League but were founder members of the Premier League in the 1992-93 season.

“It has been a great experience and given me the chance to visit the training grounds of top clubs, such as Everton’s Finch Farm and Liverpool’s facility in Kirkby, where the grass pitches are immaculate. We’ve also been fortunate to play matches on the pitch at Oldham’s Boundary Park stadium on a number of occasions. The stadium itself has a capacity of over 13,000, though for our matches there are just a handful of mums, dads, siblings and other family members watching. As well as the football training we’ve been given lessons in other important life skills such as nutrition and psychology. This helps us to choose the right foods to eat before and after football, and ensures we are in the right frame of mind to perform at our best. We also have access to the club physiotherapist should we have any injuries".

Ryan concluded: “During my time playing football at MGS there have been a number of highlights. In Year 6 we made it to the National Finals which were held at St George’s Park. This was a great experience because it’s where the England team train and meet up before international matches. In Year 8 we had a great run in the ISFA U13’s Cup, reaching the semi-finals before being knocked out by the eventual winners Highgate. Our cup run included an away match in London, which meant a long trip down on the minibus – great for team spirit and bonding!  The teachers at MGS have been a great source of support with my football at MGS, in particular Mr Bird in the Junior School and Mr Young this season in Year 8. I look forward to continuing my football career at MGS and with ISFA over the next few years”.

Well done both!