When Connah’s Quay Nomads took their junior teams for a trip to Spain, the last thing they expected was to meet a footballing superstar.
But during their visit to Rayo Vallecano, they ran into Falcao, the Colombian legend who has also played for teams including Manchester United, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.
“All the players were able to have photos with him,” says Nomads head of academy Jay Catton. “We put a thank you message to him on Twitter, and he responded, saying good luck to Connah’s Quay Nomads. He’s got a really big social media following so that was great for us and great for Wales!”
The trip is the 22nd cross-continent visit Connah’s Quay Nomads have staged, with destinations in previous years including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Age groups from under-8s to under-16s all participated this year, with parents and coaches joining them on the road as they spent time at Real Madrid, Leganes, Girona, Atletico Madrid as well as Rayo Vallecano. The younger age groups even got the chance to watch the match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“What we’re always after is experiences for players, memories for players, and opportunities to really learn and develop from a different culture,” says Jay. “The players get the opportunity to learn from coaches from top European clubs, and so do our coaches. They get the experience of playing against players of different nationalities, living in a different culture, learning the language.
“It’s all about getting the players the best experience we can that will help them long-term and in life beyond football.”
