Leicester City to make Nong Pee’s dream come true
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD ethnic Mon boy, who rose to instant fame with his ability to kick the ball against the crossbar as many as five times in succession, earned the biggest chance he could ever imagine when English Premier League champions Leicester City agreed to support him in realising his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
Suwin, or better known as “Nong Pee”, became an internet sensation earlier this month when a video clip of him showing his unique ability during a TV programme attracted more than three million views.
He enjoyed his fame to such an extent that even well-known figures in Thai football such as national team captain Theerathon Bunmathan posted their pictures with him on the social media. However, his meteoric rise would now be capped off by the chance of playing at the Thai-owned Leicester City.
“The story [of Nong Pee] is not just about him kicking the ball [against the bar] but I think it’s a kind of inspiration that showed us how hard he practiced just to get a ball as a gift. So, there’s something interesting about him, his desire to do something and his determination,” Leicester vice chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha told a conference at Pullman Bangkok King Power hotel on Tuesday.
“I’m just one of those who watched the clip but I have to admit that he really impressed me. When we talk about kicking the ball against woodwork, anyone who saw it first time would say that it is not real and it’s just a TV show.
“But, it’s not that easy and one thing that is obvious is that he has the ability. He also has a really strong determination as he doesn’t just chip the ball onto the bar but he hit it with power. That’s something not easy to do.
“It may be just a trick on the training field that I think any player would try to do at the end of the session. But, the fact that he managed to hit the woodwork eight to nine times out of 10, I think it’s something exceptional,” Aiyawatt said.
The Leicester boss then outlined a plan to support Nong Pee on his way to become professional player before insisting that he does not necessarily need to sign a contract with the Foxes, who caught the imagination of football fans worldwide with their unlikely title triumph last season.
“In the short term, he still needs to stay in the country and remain under the care of his coach as I believe in what he has taught him. But, we’ll help in taking care of him in terms of nutrition, training as well as education.
“We, Leicester, have already planned to send our staff to look after him in terms of nutrition and arranging a schedule for training and working out at the gym. Given that he’s only seven years old, I can’t tell you how far he could go. I don’t know whether he would be a football player in the next 10 or 20 years from now.
“But, I believe we need to support a kid who shows determination and has the ability to achieve what he wants to be. We’ll send our coach to help guide him the right way to become a professional player.
“Then, at some point in the next two or three years, we’ll send him to Leicester where he would see what our training is like or how we train in different weather and culture. If you ask me whether all we said is too soon for a seven-year-old, I would say “yes” but one good thing is that he is at the age when he is receptive to things we give him in order to become professional player.
“Is it necessary for him to sign with Leicester? No, because I don’t know whether he would become a football player or maybe a teacher when he comes back. But, we would like to show him what he needs to do in order to become a professional player. I believe what we do with him would contribute to the overall football development in our country,” said Aiyawatt.
