Silvestre gives a dose of Man Utd philosophy to kids

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, Commercial Bank executive general manager of Government Relations Khalifa al-Rayes, Manchester United Soccer School coaches Jamie Fitzpatrick and Paul Monaghan, and other officials with the participating children at the 2nd Manchester United Soccer Camp yesterday.

By Sahan Bidappa/DohaOnce the initial nervousness disappeared into thin air at the Aspire Zone ground, the 30-odd children, who were having a time of their lives, began to open up. The questions flew thick and fast at former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre.If the aim of the Manchester United Soccer Camp, hosted by Commercial Bank of Qatar for the second successive year, is to instil passion for football among children, then they surely succeeded. Despite the slight cold weather, which accompanied a mild breeze, the children refused to stop and wanted to know more about football and Silvestre himself.After a one-hour football session, divided into three camps, with Manchester United Soccer School coaches Jamie Fitzpatrick and Paul Monaghan, the children wanted to play more. And when Silvestre, who made 249 appearances for United between 1999 and 2008, joined them in for a brief while, they just hit the top gear.Into its second year, the camp gives a rare opportunity for the children of Commercial Bank Manchester United Credit Card customers to be trained by the coaches of one of the best football schools in the world. And the children, including five girls, were living the dream.“The idea behind this camp is to bring the club’s philosophy, enjoyment of football and sharing the experience with the children for few sessions,” said Silvestre, who won five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League with United.“We teach technical aspects as well as putting passion for football in them. We teach them basics of football for this age group, like getting control of the ball. And also make them aware of their teammates, you don’t want to see 10 players around the ball, that’s what coaches are trying to achieve. But the main goal is to have fun and make them understand what Manchester United football club’s philosophy is all about,” the 37-year-old added.The camp is being held in collaboration with Education Above All, an initiative launched in 2012 by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. The aim of the campaign is to provide children who are out of school and often faced with extreme poverty, cultural barriers, and conflict-affected environments an opportunity to access a quality primary education. And keeping with that spirit, Silvestre spoke to children about how it was important education before one seriously plunges into professional football career.“At school I studied hard, I had no choice. My dad said if I was not good at school I couldn’t play football. So I did my A-levels and then when I was 18 or 19, I started a university course to learn to be a sports teacher. Then I started to be a footballer and I couldn’t carry on (with the studies). But it’s important to have education,” he said.Silvestre is in the last legs of his playing career. Last year, he turned out for newly-formed Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC for four months. The Frenchman said his contract with the Indian club was only for one year. “I am not under contract with Chennai. Some players will go back. That was a great adventure and I enjoyed myself,” said Silvestre, who also played for Arsenal for two seasons.He also hinted that he would continue working on his coaching badges and is exploring options at club management. “I am talking coaching course in America, the ‘A’ license. So once I do that, I might have some opportunities. I am also looking at club management and if there are a lot of opportunities it’s just a matter of choosing the right one,” Silvestre revealed.  Khalifa al-Rayes, Executive General Manager of Government relations at Commercial Bank, was excited with the response for the camp. “In 2013, CBQ had signed a five-year contract with Manchester United. Since then, the number of customers to the bank has seen a surge as there are many United supporters at the club. The plan is always there to bring them to Qatar to play regularly. We have won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup and all this is part of plan to show Qatar is capable of conducting big events and also to promote Manchester United club. This is our second year of the camp and this is going to go on in the coming years as well,” al-Rayes said.

Below: Silvestre in action with a participant. PICTURES: Othman al-Samaraee