Bruce Julianto Diporedjo is one of two players selected from Suriname. He shares his experience on Tuesday’s sessions.

“Well I have been having a good time so far and on Tuesday, the trainers divided us into two groups with four training with the Academy’s Under-16 team - while the other four went with the Under-18 team. The training was hard but good and we continue to learn a lot from the coaches here who are very nice. It’s been a bit cold here - unlike the weather I am used to at home - but all of us have been able to adapt and apply ourselves.”

Diquan Adamson comes from the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados.

“I felt great about Tuesday’s training where we did a lot of stuff like passing and receiving and practicing how to move the ball very fast while maintaining control of it. I think the training was great and I wish that all eight players could be part of the Sunderland team.”

Following a light recovery session on Wednesday morning, the players toured the 49,000 capacity Sunderland AFC Stadium of Light, University of Sunderland Sports Science Centre Lab and the brand spanking new sports and social activity venue, CITYSPACE, on the University City Campus.

Paul Wilson of Reggae Island, Jamaica shares his experience after a hectic day 3.

“I felt really good about Wednesday’s tours where I was afforded the opportunity to visit a number of top class facilities. The tests we went through at the Sports Science Centre Lab were exciting - as was the indoor game we had at the end of the day’s tours. It was the first time I played at an indoor facility and this one was very beautiful.”

Kyrhon Philip celebrated his 15th birthday on Tuesday September 22nd hails from the little Island of St. Kitts & Nevis. The tall lanky midfield player expresses his thoughts here.

“The recovery session we did in the morning really helped to revive us after the first two days which were very hectic. During the day, the tours allowed us to see many other facilities in this beautiful town of Sunderland and it was nice, I enjoyed the day a lot.”

Ryan Fredericks comes from Soca Warriors country, Trinidad and Tobago.

“Wednesday was a great day, although I didn’t train in the morning as I was recovered from a slight groin injury. We went down to the Stadium of Light and then to Sunderland University. At the University’s lab, we did some reaction tests that they do on footballers and other sportsmen, like vision and reaction exercises.

It was a great experience to tour the Stadium. Our Head Coach, John Barnes, had met us before we left the Academy and that was also a great for me and the other boys to see the Coach again. We had a good time with him. Playing at the indoor facility was also great.”

Haiti’s Esso Amicy Faudelyn, one of the eight players chosen by Digicel and John Barnes for the one week training clinic at Sunderland AFC shares his thoughts on his experience in Sunderland, England, through an interpreter.
“For the five days that I was training here, I’ve learnt a lot of new things that I never knew. One of the best sessions for me was on Friday morning when Coach Ian Dippin had us doing this drill 4 v 4 and whenever one of us scored we had to go on the sideline leaving the others to play.
“I ‘m also really happy that the eight of us were able to bond very quickly and have learned very fast. I will miss the others when we go back to our respective countries on Monday but I wish them all the best in their future careers as players and hope that one day we will all be playing professionally.
“What has become clear to me is that language is not a barrier to learning and playing this beautiful game.

Hi everyone, my name is Ruiz Dillon Kromoredjo and I am from Suriname.

“The first training session for me was very good, I thought it would have been harder and intensive, but this group of boys worked together well it was very good and I look forward to the next training day. Some of the things we did I did before in Suriname with the first team of Robinhood Club where I play but here the weather is colder and the field is better – you don’t have to pass the ball with much strength, the pitch is good.”
Training in the pool was new for Kromoredjo. “This is new for me and I liked it, it was not very hard.”

I am Omar Holness one of two players selected from Jamaica for this exciting one week camp here at Sunderland.

“From my perspective, I think the sessions were a bit intense, coupled with the challenge of the cold weather. The drills were related to what I used to do in prep school but with more intensity.”
“Today I was introduced to the ice bath, where you stay in ice cold water for a few seconds, depending on your stamina, which helps in the recovery process after intense training. It was very cold as the name says, but nice. The sessions in the pool really helped me to recover and I think that generally, all the sessions were good.
Digicel and Sunderland are really taking care of us; we are eating a lot and staying in really comfortable accommodation so I want to thank them for that. The facilities here at Sunderland AFC are really high class, top class, world class at this Academy – to say the least.”

That is all from us for now, stay tuned as you hear from our other colleagues on a daily basis as they share with you their experiences during this one week training camp at Sunderland AFC Academy of Light.