Manchester City sign Barrow keeper
Last updated at 17:00, Tuesday, 17 July 2012
PREMIER League champions Manchester City have paid £15,000 to snap up an 11-year-old Barrow goalkeeper.
City swooped to sign Curtis Anderson after he starred over three years between the sticks at Blackpool.
They were so impressed with the former Crooklands Casuals player’s abilities, they were happy to shell out the cash in compensation to the Tangerines and bring him into the Eastlands set-up.
“It’s incredible for them to have paid that much for an 11-year-old,” said Curtis’s dad Terry, who spent 17 years as a player at Crooklands Casuals and who coached his son’s junior side before he was signed by Blackpool.
“It’s brilliant for him to be part of their set-up.
“They have got high hopes for him – you wouldn’t pay £15,000 for an 11-year-old unless you thought there was something about him.”
Curtis was spotted by Blackpool as an eight-year-old, playing in goal for Crooklands against Furness Rovers.
The former Yarlside School pupil – whose family moved to Garstang in December so he could be closer to his football club base – had recently signed a contract keeping him at Bloomfield Road until he was 16.
However, City, Manchester United and Liverpool all expressed an interest in signing him, with Blackpool happy to see him move on to a higher level.
After a two-week trial with City – as well as one at Liverpool, the club Curtis and dad Terry support, and Pepe Reina’s coach Jon Achtenberg – Curtis agreed terms with the Premier League champions, who then negotiated his release from Blackpool for an initial fee of around £15,000, with add-ons based on his future success and development.
Curtis has now signed on at the City of Manchester Stadium until he is 16 and will begin his pre-season training at the start of August.
That will involve taking days off from school each week, as well as attending evening sessions and weekend matches against some of the best teams in the country and in Europe.
Dad Terry added: “He has done really well – he has been down there and impressed them on trials, and they have paid for him.
“He absolutely loves it down there. He loved it at Blackpool – he had a lot of friends there, but because of the difference in funding, the facilities weren’t great and to have the opportunity to go to Man City, everything is just stepped up a notch.
“He’s playing with far better players. They bring them in from all over Europe, so he is playing at a higher standard and competing in a higher league.”
Curtis will now play at the Manchester City Academy under head coach Scott Sellars, with one day off school every week to play alongside the older children.
Curtis has already had chance to experience what it is like with City and said: “It feels a bit strange being at the Premier League champions, but it’s good.
“When we were at Blackpool, we were playing League Two teams and it was very different – they didn’t have their own training place.
“At Manchester City, they have their own training ground and everything is a great set-up.”
First published at 16:11, Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
im pleased for the lad i really am.
i was a quality keeper in my day,but i got to 13 and stoppped growing, hope this lad doesnt encounter this as well.
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George, do you really think Barrow AFC have resources and finance to scout 11-year-olds? Good luck to the lad but I'm not quite sure about big football clubs 'buying' children so young - what price a carefree childhood?
Posted by OLD JOHN on 19 July 2012 at 16:42