Footballer Kuba gets national call-up for England Colleges FA squad

New City College sport student Kuba Ollivierre is celebrating after being selected for the England Colleges FA national squad, a major milestone in his rapidly developing football career.

Kuba, 17, studies Level 3 BTEC Sports Coaching and Development at New City College’s Epping Forest Campus and plays in the college football team. His England call-up will see him represent his country in international fixtures, with his next match taking place against Wales in February, followed by a game against Australia and a tournament in Italy later this year.

The talented left winger earned his place in the Association of Colleges national squad after being put forward for regional trials by his college tutors.  Following a standout performance at the England Colleges South trials, held at Chelsea FC’s training ground, Kuba progressed to the national trials in Shrewsbury, where he was selected from players across the country.

Kuba has since attended a Welcome Day at St George’s Park, the world-class training base for England’s national men’s and women’s teams. The experience gave him a taste of elite football, with coaching sessions led by England coaches, professional performance analysis, sports psychology workshops, medical insight, team-building activities and a tour of the impressive facilities.

He has already made his debut for the England Colleges side in a 3–1 win against the Independent Schools FA, and says the experience has exceeded his expectations.

Kuba said: “I was very happy to get into the England Colleges squad – and quite surprised. There are so many good players from all over the country. It’s exciting and a great experience for me to be part of the team and it will definitely help me to develop my football skills.

“The welcome day, training session and match at St George’s was amazing and I felt lucky to be a part of it. I’m really looking forward to playing in the next fixture.”

Outside of college, Kuba plays for FC Baresi, a men’s Saturday team based in Ware, Hertfordshire, and recently had the opportunity to train with the St Vincent international team while visiting relatives – an experience he says helped broaden his football knowledge and confidence.

With ambitions to secure a scholarship or academy place and eventually progress into professional football, Kuba credits his college course with playing a key role in his development.

He said: “Football is really important to me and I’m glad I chose the Sport course at New City College. It’s a great programme and it has given me many opportunities, especially in my development as a player.”

Shaun Clifford, New City College Group Curriculum Director for Sport, said: “This is an outstanding achievement for Kuba and we are incredibly proud of him. To be selected for the England Colleges FA squad from such a strong national pool of players shows his talent, dedication and work ethic. Opportunities like this are exactly what the Sport programmes at NCC are designed to support.”

NCC Sport students excel in showcase game at Spurs Training Centre

Along with Kuba’s achievement, the Sport department are also celebrating another success after NCC students from Hackney, Redbridge, Epping Forest, and Havering Sixth Form campuses recently took part in a college showcase match at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre – and won 3-2.

All the students are part of the Tottenham Hotspur Education and Football Development Centre at New City College.

The event provided a valuable opportunity for the selected students to demonstrate their abilities in front of Academy staff and scouts and they could now be considered for selection to a squad that will face a Tottenham Hotspur Academy XI later this year.

Alfie Babb, Education & Football Development Centre Coordinator, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “It was great to have so many New City College students involved in this showcase game. Opportunities like this reflect the strong working relationship between us and NCC, highlighting the pathways we provide for the students on our Education and Football Development Programme.”

New City College offers a range of sport and football pathways, including the highly-regarded Tottenham Hotspur Football Development Programme, giving students the opportunity to combine academic study with elite coaching, competitive fixtures, professional facilities and clear progression routes into higher education, coaching careers at Spurs, academies, and semi-professional football.

Find out more, come to our Open Event and make your application to study Sport at New City College and take the next step towards your sporting future.