SENSATION: A YouTube clip has earned Nazmi Faiz Mansor a trial with a Portuguese club. The teen midfielder speaks to Ajitpal Singh.
IT was a dream come true for me when I was informed by my coach Ong Kim Swee that a Portuguese club were interested in having me for a short trial.
I took time to digest what Kim Swee had said as I thought he was joking. But I realised he was not.
It is every footballer's dream to play in Europe and honestly, I couldn't wait to get started, then.
We met Football Management International director of football, Marco Guimaraes, and he furnished me with the details of the then impending trial with Sport Clube Beira-Mar, a Portuguese Division One club.
I never expected this opportunity to come so quick for a 17-year-old like me. I have to thank all involved and God, of course.
I had to do research on the club's background as frankly, I knew little about them as Portuguese football has always been about either Porto or Benfica.
And after reading up on them in the Internet, I realised that the Aveiro-based side were a huge team.
I am a huge fan of Eusebio and I couldn't believe it that he once played for Beira-Mar, the club where I hope to make the grade.
Everyone in Malaysia was excited about the news and I must thank the FA of Malaysia for sponsoring my father's (Mansor Mustafa) for the trip as I needed him to be around with me.
A day before my flight, Kim Swee and my Young Tigers teammates bade me farewell. They told me to be confident during the trial as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
It was Sunday, as my dad and I arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to board the flight to Porto, Portugal. It was a long and tiring journey and I also felt nervous as I drew closer to my destination.
We transited in Paris for three hours and I used the time to read up about Portugal football.
We arrived on Monday in Porto before continuing our journey to Aveiro by car. I enjoyed the scenic view of the port city during the short drive. The first thing I noticed was the palm trees along the coastline.
We arrived at our hotel, which was five minutes away from the Beira-Mar training ground before checking-in.
We did not do much upon arrival as we needed to settle down and meet officials of Biera-Mar. I, however, jogged and juggled the ball in the evening before taking a nap to recover from the jet-lag.
On the next day, I did a light workout before having breakfast. After that, we took a short trip around the city.
I basically rested and did not think much about the trial as I did not want to put myself in any pressure that would affect my performance.
The big day arrived (Wednesday) and I had to report for training in the evening. I met the first team players and their coach, Ulisses Morais.
They were so nice and helpful. I spoke to Morais and he told me to play at my best ability. According to the first team players, everyone here was looking forward to meeting and watching me play.
I was like the main attraction here. I felt like a star, however, my focus was on the trial as I needed to impress them.
I trained with the first team along with those, also on trials, which lasted for almost 90 minutes. I had a good outing but felt I could have done much more on the pitch.
I adapted well to the new environment in Portugal. It isn't much of problem and I felt good after my first workout with the team.
Most of the players are physically bigger but that's no excuse. I'm confident of making my mark and will give it my best shot during my short stay here.
It was a different experience in terms of training as the drills here are so much different than I had ever experienced before.
On Thursday, I played my first match for Beira-Mar against a Division Two club. It was a 60-minute game but I did not do too well here, though, I managed to blend in nicely with them. Only the goalkeeper from the first team played while others comprised those on trial and members of the youth team.
I felt slightly nervous, probably because it was my first ever experience with a European team but I was not deterred. I was determined to make a huge impression on the next day.
It was my last chance and I wanted so much to impress them yesterday (Friday). I did my level best and I hope it was enough. I leave to the club to decide.
My training here, however, has made me a more confident and determined person. I want to play in Europe and I hope to do it soon. I believe that a footballer needs to play in Europe to progress.
By NST
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