Arsenal
Andy Kanga went to the identical faculty as Trent Alexander-Arnold – however it’s Liverpool’s new right-back serving to him observe a path to the highest.
The content material creator and semi-professional footballer lately took half in Jeremie Frimpong’s Pathways Match x Profession Honest.
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The revolutionary occasion held earlier this summer time is geared toward empowering kids to find new profession alternatives.
In a enterprise managed by Frimpong’s industrial supervisor, Cedrick Ofori, a former Man Metropolis starlet himself, the Dutch worldwide has made a mission to assist kids transitioning from skilled academies.
The inaugural version of the competitors proved so successful that an expanded occasion is being deliberate subsequent 12 months at an even bigger venue.
Throughout an unique interview with talkSPORT.com, Kanga mentioned: “I believe issues like which might be nice for the group and for the youthful technology to see somebody who comes from the place they arrive from and goes on to do one thing like this simply reveals that they’ll do it too sooner or later.
“It reveals the character of Jeremie as properly to remain grounded and never overlook his roots even after making an enormous transfer to Liverpool.”
In one other timeline, Kanga may have been teammates with Frimpong at Anfield, having been scouted by the membership as a teen.
The Liverpudlian went to the identical main faculty as Alexander-Arnold, with one other of the Reds’ former vice-captains, Jamie Carragher, current when he signed his first contract on the membership.
“I’ve at all times mentioned I could not have had a greater soccer basis than beginning out at Liverpool’s Academy,” Kanga added.
“You are round prime expertise from an early age, you play on the perfect pitches, with top-level coaches, and it is a correct aggressive atmosphere, so it calls for the perfect out of you.
“Going to the identical main faculty as Trent and seeing him do properly early on at Liverpool, it made me need to do the identical once I received picked up at 6 or 7 as properly.
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‘Jamie Carragher on the signing day was an enormous second’
“Signing day was an enormous deal for the household. I had everybody include me, my mum, dad, brother, and sister. Having the ability to see my mum and pa smile like that, clearly, made me pleased.
“The academy was at all times a reminder to us of how huge the membership was. There have been at all times footage of legends throughout the academy. John Barnes, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher.
“The Champions League trophy was within the workplaces upstairs, so that you’d at all times stroll previous and see it.
“So to have Jamie on the signing day was an enormous second.”
As a rising star at Liverpool, Kanga moved to Rainhill Excessive, which has been the membership’s Academy Schooling Centre in Merseyside since 2009.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold journey to Liverpool accidents
Its illustrious alumni embrace Alexander-Arnold, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Ibe, Sheyi Ojo, Rhian Brewster, Curtis Jones, and Jerome Sinclair, the youngest participant in Liverpool’s historical past.
Nevertheless, devastatingly, Kanga’s progress was curtailed when he was 15 by a stress fracture in his again that sidelined him for 9 months.
On his first sport again to full health, a reckless deal with dealt injury to his ankle, and he left the match on crutches.
The timing of his two back-to-back accidents was particularly robust, with Liverpool beginning to hand out each contracts and alternatives.
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“The worst factor about accidents is simply not with the ability to play,” Kanga defined to talkSPORT. “I bear in mind having a stress fracture and being sidelined, and I might be itching to get again on the pitch.
“Clearly the timing of the damage as properly wasn’t excellent, with it being so near choices and on contracts and stuff.
“Even simply not with the ability to play together with your mates, you are simply specializing in getting again to 100 per cent. In order that was robust as properly.”
In Kanga’s age group, Niall Brookwell performed beneath membership icon Gerrard for the Reds Underneath-18 facet on the age of 15.
In the meantime, Leighton Clarkson, Jake Cain, Jack Partitions, Remi Savage, and Owen Beck all went on to signal their first skilled offers with Liverpool – with the latter, who joined Derby on mortgage this summer time, making his first-team debut within the EFL Cup in October 2021.
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Liverpool contract and launch
Kanga had been working at right-back after overcoming his accidents, a place Liverpool already had a humiliation of riches in.
Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams was within the 12 months above, whereas Alexander-Arnold was simply breaking into the senior facet.
And, having seen his enjoying time decreased following his accidents, Liverpool sadly knowledgeable Kanga he could be getting launched.
Regardless of his established academy pedigree, trials at Leeds, West Brom, Bournemouth, and Bradford had been all unsuccessful.
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Blackpool handed him a lifeline a month earlier than his seventeenth birthday, however COVID quickly shut down the soccer world – and Kanga was handed the information throughout lockdown in July 2020 that he was being let go.
He continued: “Going to trials at different golf equipment after being launched was clearly an enormous tradition shock, and it made me realise how good we had it at Liverpool.
“Signing at Blackpool, without end grateful for them for taking me on, however on the time, the membership was really in a troublesome spot financially and even simply the best way the membership was run.
“However regardless of the variations in ranges of requirements and stuff like that, it was actually top-of-the-line experiences I had in soccer, simply from the group of lads who had been there with me on the time.”
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Andy Kanga’s profession to this point
PLAYERSocial Media Content material Creator and Editor · FreelanceNov 2024 – Current
Loughborough CollegeEnterprise FinanceOct 2020 – 2024
BlackpoolAcademy ScholarshipJul 2018 – Jul 2020 · 2 yrs 1 mo
Liverpool fcAcademy Soccer Player2009 – Jul 2018 · 9 yrs 7 mos
Loughborough College to Jeremie Frimpong’s Pathways Initiative
Kanga’s two-year COVID-disrupted stint at Blackpool proved to be the ultimate time he was registered to an expert membership.
“I believe the largest challenges that footballers would wish assist with after getting launched could be discovering their identification away from soccer,” he claimed.
“After rising up and everybody anticipating you to grow to be a footballer, it may be robust mentally, however to have that help to assist construct gamers’ self-worth and careers away from the sport.”
In October 2020, Kanga enrolled at Loughborough College, hoping provides would arrive whereas he performed full-time for the campus crew.
He studied enterprise finance, with the plan being that by the next January, Kanga would be capable of restart his soccer profession.
Life after Premier League soccer
Nevertheless, having been let down by his agent, who did not ship on the promise of discovering him a brand new membership, Kanga as a substitute discovered work elsewhere and even educated as a barber.
“Getting launched at 18, you then must face actual life like everybody else and search for methods to care for your self,” he admitted.
“Clearly I used to be at uni and I bear in mind doing the odd evening shift at Amazon Warehouse, which I would not suggest to my worst enemy.
“However even being there, I used it to be taught classes, discuss to individuals from completely different cultures and backgrounds and listen to their tales as properly.
“You could have individuals who have been in there for years simply to care for the households, in contrast to some of us who simply needed to fund a vacation or one thing. In order that was an actual eye-opener.”
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Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard or Paul Pogba are dream friends
Since November, Kanga has been a social media content material creator for a participant recruitment and aftercare platform, co-founded by Patrice Evra.
He additionally continues to play semi-pro soccer, documenting his bid to succeed in the skilled ranks on his inspiring YouTube channel.
Kanga mentioned: “The Greatest lesson soccer has taught me is to place your self first.
“With my YouTube channel, I’ve a collection the place I doc the journey the place I try to present the realities of chasing your goals alongside the best way.
“I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and enjoying challenges with [Newcastle’s] Anthony Solar’s Solar [Newport’s] Cameron Antwi.
“One in all my dream friends shall be both Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard or Paul Pogba.”
However within the brief time period, fittingly, the pathway forward is evident for the primary time in years.
“My targets for the following 12 months are to only continue to grow, bettering and galvanizing individuals to not surrender on their goals.”
