Dream still alive but work needed

VALUABLE EXPERIENCE: Gisborne Thistle defender Riley McMenamin takes the ball out of defence as Havelock North Wanderers player-coach Chris Greatholder looks to cut him off. McMenamin was in a New Zealand/Australia team of promising young players who travelled to England for a football experience that included matches against youth teams. Picture by Paul Rickard

CAMPION College Year 12 student and Gisborne Thistle defender Riley McMenamin is his own worst critic.

That could be the key to his achieving a dream of becoming a professional footballer.

The 17-year-old returned from a 12-day spell in England playing against youth teams, including one from English Premier League club Watford, rating himself “four or five out of 10” while in England.

“Looking back, I know I could have done a lot better,” said McMenamin who plays central midfield for Campion, and leftback or centreback, which he prefers, for Thistle.

Thistle coach Matt Hastings was responsible for getting McMenamin a spot in a travelling team for Pulse Academy, run by Paul Seaman in England.

Seaman, who regularly puts together a team of young players from New Zealand and Australia to travel to the UK to give them an experience within football, was a midfielder who played in the New Zealand Football Championship for Auckland City and Waitakere. He came up against Hastings, who played in midfield for Waikato and Hawke’s Bay United, and they became friends.

“Matt asked me if I was interested in going over and I jumped at the chance,” McMenamin said.

“Matt told me it would be an eye-opener, and it was.

“The pace of the games and the physicality are much higher than here, but it’s made me more determined to work hard and try to become a professional footballer in New Zealand or overseas.

“I have a lot to work on. Out of 10, I would rate my performances four or five. Paul told me the main things I need to work on are my speed and strength. I’ve been doing gym work on my upper body strength.”

McMenamin, 10 other New Zealanders and six Australians were based in Hastings, about two hours’ drive from London, depending on traffic.

“Our first day was spent watching the West Ham-Swansea game, which was an awesome experience,” McMenamin said.

“The atmosphere was intense on and off the pitch.

“Then we played Claremont School and won 6-1, but after that we lost four of the next five matches — against Queens Park Rangers under-18s, Watford u18s, Conquest Academy and Fulham u18s. The other win was against Boreham Wood u23s.”

McMenamin said his highlight was playing the full game against Watford u18s on their premier ground.

“I got at least 45 minutes in the other games but played the full 90 minutes against Watford, with some of their first-team players watching.”

Last weekend, a week after returning from England, McMenamin played for the Napier under-19 team in a national youth tournament in Napier.

McMenamin and his teammates were in the Satellite section of 22 teams in four groups.

“We played Kapiti Coast, Albany Unted, Havelock North and Tauranga College but lost all our games,” said McMenamin, who gave himself a “six or seven” this time round

“Apart from losing all the games, I felt I did better, but I know I have a lot of work to do to make it as a professional.”