Terry Smith supporting Liverpool Football Club International Academy

Mauritius, 16 July 2021: Leading international fund manager Terry Smith has announced that he is backing the Liverpool Football Club International Academy in Mauritius for the third year running, as the Academy prepares to re-open its doors to aspiring young footballers at their home venue, the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex in August.

The Liverpool Football Club International Academy in Mauritius was launched in July 2019 with the aim of providing young players from across the country, aged 12 to 17, with unique opportunities to develop and learn new techniques and skills through authentic Liverpool Football Club coaching.

The Academy provides Liverpool coaching staff, led by Head Coach Neil Murphy, to oversee the project and to deliver a coach education scheme to deliver coaching ‘The Liverpool Way’ to local coaches, using the same techniques and philosophies as those delivered at their Academy in Liverpool.

Speaking about his support of the Academy, Terry Smith, a leading international fund manager who is based in Mauritius, said: “I grew up in East London where it is almost impossible not to have an interest in football. When I moved to Mauritius it was immediately obvious to me that football is a national passion. When I learned that there was a call for support to establish the Liverpool Football Club International Academy on the island I thought it would be a good opportunity to fund the coaching facilities to allow some young Mauritians to pursue their dreams”.

“I am delighted to say that now, in the third year of my sponsorship, over 300 young Mauritian footballers are benefitting from Liverpool coaching, and that the Academy has also been hosting sessions for local community groups which is a laudable initiative. I think that young people have shown a lot of resilience in coping with the recent lockdown and I can’t wait to see them back in training at the world class facilities in Côte d’Or as from next month.”

Commenting on behalf of the Liverpool Football Club International Academy, Neil Murphy, Head Coach, said: “It is incredible to have Terry’s support at the Academy and to allow us to provide international standards of coaching here in Mauritius. Terry is passionate about sport and has a strong football background. He is also someone who believes in high performance and getting the right skills for the future. We are thrilled to have his support for the third year running.”

“In terms of the re-opening of the Academy, we are really looking forward to welcoming 300 young players, boys and girls, back to our home venue at Côte d’Or next month and to continuing to bring our supporters closer to the club. I will also be glad to resume our training programme for our 25 local coaches ‘The Liverpool Way’. This is just as important as our support for young players, as it will provide a legacy for the country’s sporting future,” Neil concluded.