Derby County Take Hannibal on Trial
Championship high-flyers Derby County have taken a 14-year-old midfielder on trial after spotting him at our event in August.
Hannibal D’Aguilar was one of 100 players to attend our football trial in Birmingham on August 29th, hoping to impress the scouts who were watching on.
Within 24 hours, Hannibal had taken to the field at Derby County’s training ground and was playing with some of English football’s brightest prospects.
“When we got there Hannibal just said ‘wow’”, revealed his mum, Mariana.
“We were there for about three hours and he was very impressed by the level – that’s his motivation in life and it’s his passion, absolutely.”
She added: “Hannibal really enjoyed it at Derby and was very happy with the way it went.”
The recent trial with Derby represents the latest in a string of opportunities for Hannibal, who has played all around the world.
Mariana explained: “Hannibal was born in Jamaica but also has a dual Spanish citizenship. Originally he began playing in Jamaica before we moved to America two years ago, which is when he started playing for the state, Illinois.
“So he’s been exposed to different academies and football all around the world but he had always dreamed of coming to England, so he’s very happy to be here.”
She continued: “We found UK Football Trials a year ago when we lived in USA so it wasn’t possible to come, but he watched a lot of videos to prepare and finally got the chance last month.
“He had fantastic exposure and it was a great opportunity for him. We’re just waiting for feedback from the club now to hear about the next stage.”
Everyone at UK Football Trials would like to congratulate Hannibal on his trial and wish him all the best with his football going forward.