Recently capped goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Francis Odinaka Uzoho has revealed to Owngoalnigeria.com how he made the progress from Aspire Academy to Spanish La-Liga side Deportivo La Coruna..
In a chat with Maxwell Pius, the 1.96m tall goalkeeper said it all started when he followed Qatar owned Aspire Academy to Barcelona for a training camp in November 2016.
” My agent told me that a big team wants to sign me at the end of a training camp with Aspire Academy in Barcelona . I was so excited when I had my first training session with Deportivo La Coruna working with coach Manu Sotelo.
” I couldn’t make my debut on time when my transfer was concluded in January 2017 due to documentation and registration issues, It came through in February and I made my debut later in the same month “, he said.
Uzoho also revealed that he started his career as a striker before his coach back then told him to try out as a goalkeeper, an advice he didn’t take serious at the age of 12 until he finally joined Aspire Academy as a 14 year old.
” I did not take football serious up until the age of 13, an agent of Aspire Academy told me while I was 12 years old that I will do better as a goalkeeper because I was very tall and too slow to be a striker.
” I worked hard and two years later I was recruited to Aspire Academy as a goalkeeper, because I worked very hard after the advice, and due to my early days as a striker I find it very easy to distribute balls from the back as a goalkeeper”.
Maxwell Pius
