Young Kiwis Outside the UK

Let's just say that NZF had a panic after Wynnegate and blanketed any non-NZ born player without a parent or grandparent born in NZ as ineligible without checking properly, so they told Ben van den Broek incorrectly that he was ineligible. He has since retired from pro football.

Not sure where to put this but it looks like Max Mata has signed with Grasshoppers in the Swiss Superleague. He also had a trial with them earlier in the year.

Probably gets a new thread if/when it's confirmed.

Well, the girlfriend has announced it... https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq-vdbXlfkQ/?utm_sourc...

Just can't find it anywhere else yet.

Good for him, I was a little surprised when he didn't get signed after the trial  given he banged in a few goals - waiting for him to turn 18?

Ahhhhh young love. Forever is a long time.

Tracking player movements by sale of white goods on Trade Me, soooo last week.

Good for Mata.

Grasshopper currently lie 2nd last in the Swiss League and with only 19 goals after 16 games, they have comfortably the lowest GF this season. So who knows young Max, may go close to a game or two next year.

League has it's winter break from mid December to early February.

Surprised they're doing so badly, they're traditionally one of the big Swiss clubs. Swiss league is pretty decent, it'll be a very good environment for Mata to be in.

Just checked their Sofifa page, they're looking very weak/thin in the striker department, and two of them are on loan to the club. So if he's not around the first team this season then he'll certainly be featuring in the next

Time for a really young Kiwi outside the UK. Being told about a Kiwi kid, about 10 or 11, currently playing for the youth teams of Inter Milan. Was apparently the top scorer in the under 8s team by miles. Son of a guy called Peter Cook; anybody have any information?

great for him, but really? top scorer in the under 8s means you were probably bigger than the other kids!  remember Freddy Adu? 

leave this kid alone and let him enjoy his football, if he is still doing it at when he's a good few years older then lets talk about him!

Was just curious! A New Zealander playing for Inter Milan at any level is incredible. Was asked by a friend to ask here as he knows his father.

Just did a bit of research for fun and found nothing.  The Inter Milan website is pretty amazing, they have pictures and names of even their 'pulcini' teams (basically 6 year olds - which is the youngest age you can play organised football) but no sign of any 'Cook' up to the U17 squad, so he's either too young, or no longer there.

Yep he’s no longer there - is now 12 and plays for Real Madrid’s academy in Singapore. And i found it’s Cooke, not Cook!

pretty sure his dad was posting about him on here earlier in the year

Yeah you're right, just found the thread

Seemed pretty nepotic but tbh it's incredible to have a Kiwi at such big clubs

We've had players at Liverpool before, so until they get a first-team contract no need to get too excited

To be fair, 'Real Madrid’s academy in Singapore' sounds like a revenue stream more than anything else.

yeah there was a kid in hawkes bay couple of year ago who went of to train at man United... turn out it was their soccer school. Was the vital bit his dad never really mention.

Yeah absolutely, had that with a friend and Barcelona, conveniently forgot to mention it was their Escola program. Still this kid played for the youth teams of actual Inter Milan which isn't to be sniffed at. Even though it means almost nothing going forward since he's barely a teenager, it's still a little heart-warming to see Kiwi kids making their own way

Well if Mata has signed, he's probably off to Turkey to train & play friendlies in January.

https://www.gcz.ch/news/news/artikel/vorbereitungs...

Anyone have any updates on Max Mata?

I think his Insta acct has a Zurich address.

Still finalising the paperwork with Grasshopper FC? 

They are currently in Turkey for a training camp

May be an end of season signing - Instagram shows he's been in NZ and Fiji for the past month or two. Also noticed that Grasshopper's Instagram account is following Max's - since Grasshopper only follows 196 accounts, you'd have to assume that he's part of their future and not just a trialist. Tried searching German Google but nothing comes up regarding him

Max flew out to Switzerland last week. no news as yet on how hes going. Another young Kiwi Matt Palmer (ex suburbs, Sacred Heart, NZ U17) has secured a contract with a club in Denmark. Good luck to them, hope they do well, its very tough. 

Thanks mate - just found that Mata's currently in Denmark too, with Grasshoppers player Jan Ostrowski. Great to see Palmer getting a look in, he's a huge guy if i recall correctly, any idea which club?

ive been told club is Veijle Boldklub. believe it was brokered by the eastern suburbs goalkeeper coach Miro. yep Matt's massive, and was very quick (from memory NZ top 3 @ 400m) 

Jacob Harris has signed with Motala AIF, joining his brother Joseph.

4th tier of Swedish football, and split into about 6 regions.

Calvin Lee someone I haven't seen here before. Ex-Suburbs, Papatoetoe, Oratia and Dilworth. 20 years old, currently plays for Optik Rathenow in the German 4th tier, spent a couple of months at Chinese powerhouses Shanghai Shenhua as well. Was recently offered a deal in the Lithuanian second tier (same level as Angus Kilkolly played recently) but declined

Hey @ussoccer_da, we have a Goal of the Year nominee for you.

Thomas Raimbault, take a bow young man ? pic.twitter.com/a1affqWcVj

— Whitecaps FC Academy (@WFCAcademy) March 25, 2019

Elijah Just and Dalton Wilkins have signed with 2nd tier Danish club FC Helsingor on 3-year deals. McCowatt has also been offered a deal but will wait until after the u20 world cup. Article here by Phillip Rollo.

2nd div and favoured for relegation it seems. I don't know much about Dalton TBH, but surely Just is better than 3rd Div in Denmark?

Most definitely, but from what it sounds and looks like, they're signing up there with a view to building experience and moving up through the ranks that way. Still only young, but to sign 3 year contracts with the threat of relegation looming is a really big call though. The money on offer must be very good for such signings given their clubs current predicament. They've still got a few games to go though so would definitely be hoping to avoid the drop and have a full crack at the Danish 1st division next season. 

Are they eligible to play any of the remaining fixtures in this current season? 

They're off to the Under 20's. But...."They are both players I expect to play in our first team next season."   Helsingor Club Director. 

They can't play this season - the transfer window doesn't open until July so they can't be registered until then - and they're in Poland now anyway.

Helsingør is a club with an interesting recent backstory: https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/01/07/jordan-gardner-american-investor-dundalk-swansea-scandinavia-us-playaers & https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertkidd/2019/03/29/u-s-investors-behind-deal-for-danish-soccer-club-revealed/#46c4074c7b28

I'd note they've got the fourth-best defensive record in the league (yet the worst attacking record), so it's not like it's an absolute mess of a place and if either player shows themselves to be 'too good' for the third tier, you'd reckon they'd attract interest elsewhere in Denmark if nothing else. 

That it's better to aim straight, play, and impress than to aim high and potentially not play will be one of the factors that's gone into their decision.

Yeah should have known they'd be off in Poland now, completely slipped my mind. Still though it's a positive step. McCowatt understandably banking on a big U20 campaign and looking to get picked up on the back of that.

Helsingor (11th & last relegation spot) drew on the weekend, to close the gap to 2 points on Roskilde (10th) who lost.

Two rounds to go.

Cameron Hogg has signed with Nykopings BIS in Sweden's 3rd tier.

Another Kiwi keeper to keep an eye on!

Looks like Van Den Hoven is back with Eastern Suburbs

Tam Dimairo has signed for Bruno's Magpies (great name) in the Gibraltar Premier League after his spell in the USA. Just promoted from the Gibraltar second tier