Ex-Rangers star Nacho Novo returns to Thurso for successful coaching sessions
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FORMER Rangers striker Nacho Novo returned to Thurso with the Rangers soccer schools to run two coaching sessions last Saturday for 50 children in the high school games hall.
The Rangers soccer schools managed by Peter Kennedy are run all over the world, searching for the next generation of stars.
During the Thurso sessions, for pupils from P1 to P7, Daniel Laverty and Liam Gunn were picked by Novo and Kennedy as players of the day for their age levels. Liam has also received an invitation to travel to Glasgow to train at the Hummel Training Centre, where he will be given the opportunity to show of his skills in front of the Rangers coaching staff.
In the evening Thurso football academy hosted a sportsman's dinner with Novo and fellow ex-Rangers stars Alex Rae and Marvin Andrews in the town's Pentland Hotel, where the sell-out crowd enjoyed some memorable footballing stories.
More than £3000 was raised through an auction of Rangers items and raffle prizes. From this, £1000 will go towards MND Scotland in memory of former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen, with another £500 going to the Rangers Charity Foundation.
Alyn Gunn, event organiser and Thurso football academy head of coaching, said: "I would to thank the Caithness community for coming together and supporting these events, and also our event sponsors – we couldn't do it without them. Our organising committee worked tirelessly over the past few months to ensure everything was in place to ensure that things ran as smoothly as possible.
"Our aim with these events was to promote youth football and I feel with the feedback we've had we have managed this. I think it's great for the community that we have now established a link-up with the Rangers soccer schools as it will maybe open doors in a way that we've never had before.
"We have raised a fantastic amount of money which will help the academy take the cost down for future events and also two excellent charities have gained some extra support."
Nacho Novo was full of praise for the friendly welcome he gets in Caithness and said he enjoyed the coaching sessions.
"Liam and Daniel did really well, and Liam now has a fantastic opportunity at the Hummel Training Centre," he said.
"I'm glad that the football academy made a lot of money and that both charities are receiving big amounts in memory of Fernando. I want to thank Alyn, the Thurso football academy committee and the Pentland Hotel staff for the hospitality."
The Rangers soccer schools will return at Easter, with an announcement expected before Christmas on the venue.
