UKFT Player Scouted On Beach By Barcelona!
A UK Football Trials player is set for a trial with the Champions of Europe after he was spotted playing while on a family holiday in Spain. Luca Gabriele, a 15-year-old attacking midfielder, spent a week with a Barcelona summer camp earlier this year, while his family took a well deserved break to Catalonia. Luca spent a few days playing with the other children before returning back to his home in England, thinking nothing more of it.
However, a few weeks after their return, his Dad, Carlo, received a call. "When we got back home we had a few emails and calls saying they liked his style," said Carlo, "They said he stood out from the group and they want to get him back in for another look. It’s amazing and it was a bit of a shock really." The news of Barcelona's interest comes with even bigger significance following the news of Luca's failed trial with Norwich City in 2013, when he had to pull out due to growing pains.
"We came to UK Football Trials in 2013 and received interest from Stoke, Tooting and Mitcham and Norwich, which is where he eventually had a trial – but he couldn’t complete it," Carlo added. "Luca suffered from serious growing pains and was out for nine months, unable to play, which was obviously difficult for him to cope with at the start. Even watching football on TV was frustrating for him, but he came back stronger and fitter than before - now he’s been back for a year and doing well, improving steadily." No date has yet been set for Luca's trial with Barcelona, and in the meantime he will be coming back to UK Football Trials in a bid to explore his options closer to home. Carlo said: "We’re still going to come back to another UK Football Trial next week, just to assess his options and see what alternatives he might have. Even if nothing comes from it, he’ll experience another professional trial environment which will do him the world of good for his Barcelona trial."