Centre-Back, 15, on Trial For Sheffield United & Played Against Liverpool
Sheffield United have taken 15-year-old defender Abel Alabi on trial after scouting him from our trial in West London.
The centre-back, who was 14-years-old at the time of the trial, towered over the other players in his group at six-foot, and was also invited to play with the age group above with players aged 15-17.
We spoke to Abel last week a few hours before he was due to face a testing fixture against Liverpool, and he gave us his thoughts on the trial process and life at Sheffield United.
“At the UK Football Trial I played with the age group above which was good because it allowed me to prove myself against older players in front of the scouts,” said Abel.
“After the trial I got some emails from a few clubs saying I’d been scouted and inviting me for trials with them.”
West Ham, Blackburn, Derby, Southampton and Charlton were among the other clubs interested, but it was Sheffield United’s strong pursuit that gave them the edge over their rivals.
Abel explained: “They actually spoke to my parents on the day at UK Football Trials, it was good for me to see that they liked my football and it gave me a bit of a boost on the day.
“I’ve been there a few weeks now and the lads are sound - we train at the main academy so the facilities are top class as well.
“We’ve had a few games too – I’ve played against Bolton, Leeds and the first leg against Liverpool where we won 3-2. It’s been a great experience.”
Despite attracting interest from more than five clubs at our event, Abel has surprisingly never had a pro club trial before and lives in Ireland, where he has since returned to following his trial at Sheffield United.
We would like ton congratulate Abel on being selected for a trial with Sheffield United and will bring you updates on his future as we get them.