Island's youth 'must play in UK'

Paul Mooney is an ex-academy coach at Manchester United and Portsmouth

Guernsey's football development officer says youngsters must get the chance to play in England if they are to stay interested in the sport.

As plans for a Guernsey United team to play in Kent continue, Paul Mooney says children must also play in the UK.

Currently there are few opportunities for young island footballers to play outside the island, while other sports, such as cricket, provide many.

"For us to keep people we need an out, we need an end product," he said.

"Part of my role as development officer is can I find that end product?," Mooney told BBC Guernsey.

I need to raise money to get people off the island to be seen by scouts or to play in tournaments on the island when the great and the good are watching us

Paul Mooney
GFA development officer

Mooney was appointed to the role in September having been an academy coach at Manchester United and Portsmouth.

And he says without playing in England, there is less chance of the very best young players being spotted by top clubs and making it in the professional game.

"Can we find the next Matt le Tissier perhaps? To do that we need to get teams off the island.

"Having worked in professional clubs before I came here, having children at seven and eight years old, we were signing them at nine in the academy system.

"I need to raise money to get people off the island to be seen by scouts or to play in tournaments on the island when the great and the good are watching us," Mooney said.

"If there's an end product like that then I think there might be some sort of retention in football."

Other sports in the island give players much greater opportunity to play at a higher level elsewhere, with Guernsey's junior cricketers competing in the top flight of European cricket at under-17 and under-15 level.