Full name: Joao Luis dos Santos Pereira
Date of birth: 12th December 1991
Country of origin: Angola
Passport: Portuguese
Joao, 22 years old now, joined EduKick Madrid in September 2007 at age 15.
He continued studying at Spanish High School and participating in high-level training with EduKick Madrid technical staff and local Madrid club teams Juventud Sanse and Alcobendas for two more years.
After his Edukick Madrid adventure, Joao took a year away from EduKick before returning to experience Edukick England Academy’s One Year Program.
I am very excited about the opportunity to work in the EduKick environment, and I am very keen to share my unique experience with the young Edukick Manchester participants, as a former participant, and hopefully become a role model for them.
I am enjoying my Degree course very much, and I hope to contribute a lot to Football. I have pure passion for coaching and it fits very well with my degree course. Also, the work experience will considerably help my development. – Joao Pereira
During this period Joao became an important part of the squad playing in matches against English professional club academy teams while studying toward a BTEC Sports Science Diploma and completing his English FA level 1 coaching program.
The Sports Science Program and Coaching Course sparked interest in Joao so much that when he returned to Angola, where he continued to study Sports Science.
Now, back in the UK, he is studying a Sport and Exercise Science BSc(Hons) Programme at Manchester Metropolitan University, for the MMU-CHESHIRE Campus based in Crewe, UK. The main focus areas of the Degree program are Psychology, Biomechanics and Physiology.
It was great to meet Joao again and to see how well he has been developing his career.
We are delighted to have him with us – this time on the staff side – and hope he can benefit tremendously from the work experience, as well as offer our participants his knowledge and experience.
One of our goals when participants arrive is to work with them to define a career path that includes academics, in case that dream of becoming a professional player does not happen. We know that can be very difficult and only happens for a small percentage of players.
So it is great to have Joao with us as a shining example of how you can have a career built around sports, if you make the right decisions regarding your career path and include academics. – Mick Brennan Edukick England Academy Manager
Joao has continued his coaching education and will be started his English FA Level 2 Program shortly.
Joao will be spending April & May visiting the current EduKick Manchester program twice per week to assist our staff both in the classroom and on the pitch.
This will help him to gain valuable work experience with an option to return for the full 2014/15 season to become part of the EduKick Manchester support staff.
Ready to take your soccer playing to the next level?
Then training with EduKick Manchester may be the right fit for you!
