An Assistant Coach of the
Golden Eaglets Nduka Ugbade,  has  urged parents to enrol their children who have interest and potential of becoming great footballers, in football academies.
Ugbade told newsmen in Lagos Thursday that it was necessary they got started in an academy at an early stage to achieve their dreams.
“Parents should encourage their children when they see the zeal in them to be footballers, and the only help they (parents) can render, is to register them the (children) in an academy and support them all the way.
“Being a successful footballer does not happen in a day, but rather, a gradual process that is set on determination and self esteem.
“A football academy is a school that teaches what it entails to be a footballer,’’ Ugbade said.
He said that it was from such academies that players would be picked to play in the Globacom Premier League and eventually to the various national teams.
“Once you are good and you know what you are doing, your skills would definitely open doors for you. Do not derail and the sky would be your starting point.
“Football in the country has changed now; we see players from academies and the league, playing in the national teams and doing very well.
“They even get noticed internationally and we see clubs jostling to have some of them,” he said
Ugbade, who was the captain of Golden Eaglets that won the maiden edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, said that there were still several outstanding talents yet to be discovered.
“I am begging coaches at the grassroots to help in discovering those wonderful players at the grassroots, and also engage them in competitions, so as to get better.
“They need to be engaged to compete among their peers in other academies, so as to have an idea of what it takes to be players; they should not be limited to just their team mates.
“Friendly matches among academies would go a long way in helping them grow and get better,” he advised.