A training session to relish
Youths attend football clinic by PSG academy TD, watch French champions' first team in training
For 19 boys from the Football Association of Singapore Under-14 selection team, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Their eventful evening kicked off at the Geylang Field with a photo shoot with the Paris Saint-Germain squad, who arrived in Singapore yesterday for the International Champions Cup.
This was followed by a PSG training session, where the boys soaked up the action up close with a squad still brimming with talent, despite missing stars like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Angel di Maria due to their World Cup breaks.
And their night ended with a football clinic conducted by Pierre-Yves Bodineau, the technical director at the PSG academy, which has produced rising stars such as Timothy Weah, Presnel Kimpembe and Adrien Rabiot.
Dylan Choo, a Secondary 2 student from St Joseph's Institution, said: "I was very excited and happy because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet such great players.
"It was my first time meeting players from a top foreign side, it was such a pleasure."
The 14-year-old, who plays as a central midfielder in the U-14 set-up, also added that, while he was disappointed at not being able to see his idol Mbappe in person, he was thrilled at the chance to observe Italy international midfielder Marco Verratti, a player whom he models his game after.
He said: "My favourite player is Mbappe. His great pace and finesse make watching football enjoyable.
"Unfortunately, he didn't make the trip here, but there were other top-class players and it was still a great learning opportunity for me, as I got to see Verratti in action."
Dylan's teammate, Muhamad Zaheer was also ecstatic at meeting a legend.
LEGEND
The Hong Kah Secondary 2 student, who plays as a goalkeeper for the U-14 selection side, said: "My favourite player is (Bayern Munich goalkeeper) Manuel Neuer, but I was so excited to meet Gianluigi Buffon. He is a legend. I shook hands with him, really made my day, very happy!"
There were mixed emotions for fans who had gathered outside the field to catch the Ligue 1 side, ahead of their ICC match against Arsenal at the National Stadium on Saturday. PSG will take on Atletico Madrid at the same venue on Monday before heading off to China.
Nicolas Ly, 14, a Yio Chu Kang Secondary School student, said: "I am a PSG fan and I have always hoped that they would come down to Singapore.
"So, I'm really glad that they are here. It is a dream come true and I can't wait to see them in action proper."
A fan, clutching on to football memorabilia and who declined to give his name, said that he was slightly gutted that Neymar and Mbappe were not here.
"I know it is because of the World Cup, but I was still hoping to see them since the start of the European season is not too far away," he said.
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