Wellington Phoenix are to open a soccer school in Auckland with the objective of developing the next generation of professional footballers in New Zealand.
Building on the success of the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy based at Scots College in Wellington, the Auckland Soccer School will be responsible for developing promising talent in Auckland and channelling the very best to Wellington to potentially be professional footballers.
Experienced coaches Leigh Kenyon, Hiroshi Miyazawa and Joseph Dawkins will head up the Soccer School in Auckland.
It will the first physical base of the Wellington Phoenix outside the capital.
Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome said the development was an important step in the Club’s on-going development
“We are committed to finding and developing the next generation of professional footballers in New Zealand.
“Auckland is the country’s largest metro and there are more football players in that city than anywhere else – it just makes sense to have a presence there.
“The coaches we have partnered with are some of the very best in New Zealand with a history of coaching and developing some of this country’s best young talent.
“Chris Wood, Marco Rojas and current Phoenix professional Thomas Doyle have all been developed by these coaches when they were at Wynrs Football Academy where these coaches were previously employed.
“They are widely respected by the football community in this country and we are delighted that we have been able build something we believe will be quite special with them.”
“With New Zealand Football also based in Auckland, it gives the Phoenix a another channel to work with the sport’s governing body.
“It just ticks a lot of boxes for us”
Coach Hiroshi Miyazawa, said that partnering with the Phoenix made total sense.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with the Wellington Phoenix and give the top players in the Auckland region a pathway to professional football.
“We believe that partnering with the Phoenix will enable us to create a youth coaching environment in Auckland that rivals the set ups and programmes overseas.
“It is our dream to develop not only the players but also ourselves as coaches to a new level of excellence working with New Zealand’s premier and only professional football club.”
