The Chinese football world can add a new name today to its list of future hopefuls – that of Shanghai schoolboy player Tycho Collins who is to head to Europe for trials with top Danish club Brøndby IF.
The 11-year-old forward is a top-scoring star in the Shanghai school leagues and also trains with the Ebbe Sand Soccer Academy (ESSA) which was established last year.
Tycho, who has an American father and Chinese mother, has spent all of his life in China and holds a Chinese passport.
“Tycho is an interesting player, and he deserves the chance to train at one of the best soccer academies in Europe, said ESSA Director of Soccer and Head Coach, Mads Davidsen, “We are here to help and develop Chinese soccer, and this is the first step.”
The talented youngster is described by his coach as a total natural who is quick, unselfish and knows when to pass and when to dribble. Such is his goalscoring exploits that he is often moved into defence after scoring 3-4 goals in a game so as not to make games he competes in too one-sided.
Tycho, whose Chinese family name is Zhou, is at the very beginnings of his career but certainly looks to have a talent worth pursuing. With his own youtube channel (see below), hopes are obviously high for this young man. You heard the name here first…
I hope he plays for China in the future. He sounds like a pretty skilled young footballer. Good prospect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6uk14qWurk