Playing Against Future International Stars Before They Were Famous

Across academy football, trials and my time in Canada, I faced players who later reached the international stage. At the time, they were opponents to solve on the pitch. Looking back, I can see why some of those matchups have stayed with me.

The goalkeeper who stopped my shots

I remember playing against David Raya when he was at Blackburn. I was taking shots, but I remember him making saves and having a strong game. A photograph from that match helps me place the memory. Seeing where his career went makes that early encounter more interesting, though he was already a difficult goalkeeper to beat on the day.

A trial that put me opposite Reece James

One of my hardest individual matchups came while I was on trial at Blackpool. Reece James was playing for Wigan, and I was on the wing against him. His strength and speed made it difficult for me to get the better of him. I had heard his name before the match; afterwards, I understood why.

Scott McTominay is another player I remember facing when he was coming through at Manchester United. I felt he was more technically capable than the simple descriptions some people gave him. Marcus Rashford also stood out to me. I remember his movement and technical ability from a younger age, before his game reached a far bigger audience.

The Canadian Championship meetings

At Cavalry FC, I played against Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship. Those matches brought me up against players I would later recognise on international teams, including goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau and defender Derek Cornelius. I also remember the opponent who scored after I had put Cavalry ahead, although the automatically generated captions of my video are unclear on his name. I would rather leave that detail for the recording than guess in print.

Every player's path is different. Some looked destined for the top even then; others developed over time or found the right place to show their qualities. Those matches are reminders of how much can happen between a youth fixture and the international game.

Watch the full video on YouTube.