Zeroberto during his nine-day training at the grounds of Manchester City Football Club.
TO TRAIN with an English football club would be a dream come true for any teen keen on the sport.
For 19-year-old Zeroberto from rural Perak, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to be chosen to train at Manchester City Football Club.
The Semai teenager has been playing football since he was seven- years-old and dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
Little did he know that being taken under the wings of Dignity for Children Foundation would get him this golden opportunity.
Dignity is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Kuala Lumpur offering quality education and holistic care to children in need.
Zeroberto has been attending school and learning English at Dignity which has been collaborating with Manchester City Football Club’s (MCFC) Cityzens Giving Programme since 2015.
MCFC funds Dignity’s Peace Camps and Football training and invites young leaders to its Young Leader Summit held in Manchester annually.
To date, 13 young leaders from Dignity have participated in the summit.
This year, Dignity nominated three young persons and all three were accepted, one of whom was Zeroberto.
The other two were Mindy Gan who works in Dignity’s Education Content Creation and Administration section and Choon Ken, a middle secondary school teacher.
During the nine days of training, Zeroberto said he not only learnt football skills but also picked up tips on how to improve his communications skills to engage better with children who participated in the football activities.
Describing himself as shy and an introvert, Zeroberto revealed that the training had forced him to step out of his comfort zone to learn how to lead with confidence.
“The training required us to talk to each other a lot. We met many new people from different countries. We learnt and practised football together. It really helped me to be more confident.
“On the football side, the skills taught by professional footballers were invaluable. It was really a dream come true and so unforgettable for me,” enthused Zeroberto.
Although he did not get to see his idol Kevin De Bruyne, Zeroberto met Karen Bardsley, the goalkeeper for MCFC Women’s Team.
“I play as goalkeeper and sometimes as a defender, so I was thrilled to meet Karen and get some tips from her.”
How does he plan to put his training to use?
He said, “I will be sharing what I’ve learnt in football training sessions with other Dignity students here in Kuala Lumpur.
“But, it is not just sharing football skills but also helping them to develop good character and leadership skills because these are as important as being able to play well,” said Zeroberto.
