Wolves to offer young US talent a Golden Chance

This summer, Wolves will team up with FBSL Tuzos in the Arizona desert, offering young, local players the opportunity of a lifetime through the club’s Golden Chance programme.

Golden Chance was created by Wolves Academy to offer unsigned talents the chance to train and play at an elite level, and the programme’s second installment comes in the United States later this month.

In 2019, the Golden Chance was launched in Hong Kong and led to two players, Loong Tsz Hin of the under-16s and Tang Tsz Shing of the under-18s, spending an invaluable four weeks experiencing Wolves Academy’s elite facilities and coaching at Compton Park.

Now, in July 2022, US males between 16 and 21 will be encouraged to catch the eye of Wolves Academy coaches in Phoenix, Arizona, elite player development manager Darren Ryan and international projects manager Joe Hunt watching on.

The two standout performers will be selected to join Wolves’ under-21s squad out in America, as they continue to build-up to the new season by taking part in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Invitational.

The pre-season tournament in Utah will feature Wolves and Chelsea under-21s, as well as MLS NEXT Pro’s Real Monarchs, Colorado Rapids 2 and Toronto FC II.

Arizona youth club FBSL Tuzos, who are helping support the Golden Chance initiative, have a long standing-relationship with Club de Futbol Pachuca, one of the most successful Liga MX teams in their 120 years of existence.

The youth club in Phoenix welcome players from the ages of five to 19, while supporting approximately 1,700 registered players who play competitive football every week. The club, run purely on a volunteer basis, has a long history of developing talent including Ventura Alvarado, who began with FBSL Tuzos aged nine and now represents FC Juarez in Liga MX.

Tuzos have also won three club national championships, 20 Arizona state championships and 16 Far West league titles, while providing hundreds of youngsters with a pathway to a college education.

Speaking about the partnership, president of FBSL Tuzos Jesse Cedena said: “It is incredible for our club to partner with Wolves. We believe every child should be able to play top level club soccer, regardless of their financial situation. Wolves can help us find the best ways to develop our kids, teams and leagues, while continuing the FBSL Tuzos mission – we share the philosophy that soccer is for everyone.”

Beau Beyerle, FBSL Tuzos director, added: “We are excited to have a youth development partner in Wolves. Having the support and guidance from a Premier League club will help us make sure every player can reach his or her full potential, so Golden Chance is a great way to start our partnership. We are always looking for creative opportunities for our families and to share them with our larger soccer community.”

Hunt, international projects manager at Wolves, also added: “Golden Chance was designed to provide life changing opportunities. We started the project in 2019 and due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to expand as quickly as we wanted. 

“Our plans are now in full flow, and we are delighted to bring the next installment of Golden Chance to Phoenix. We are very thankful to FBSL Tuzos for hosting us and we look forward to working with their talented coaching group to find our two trialists. We’ll ensure that they have a great experience, and who knows what the future could hold for this dynamic duo.”

Registration | Players will need to be aged between 16-21 on 16th July 2022 and have a permanent address in the state of Arizona. To register an interest in taking part in the event, please visit click here.

#WolvesAcademy