Kayden Bashir - Valley Gold Advanced Centre
10-year-old Kayden first started attending the Advanced Centre in November 2021 after being scouted by the Charlton Athletic Academy’s Dipo Obanubi.
After working with CACT coaches in regular sessions, Kayden stood out and was invited to trials for the Charlton Athletic Academy in April 2022.
He was invited to sign with the Academy at the start of this season.
Nabil Bashir, Kayden’s father, said:
“I was happy that he [Kayden] was able to express himself in the Advanced Centre. As Kayden is very good on the ball technically and very dominant in 1v1 situations, he was able to keep this side of his game whilst learning the Charlton way of teaching the game.
“Charlton teach the young players the sweet science of football and this shows in their results across all age groups. The ability that he had on top of what he has been taught has only made him a better player.”
Bradley Marshall, CACT’s Senior Football & Sports Development Officer, said:
“Kayden was sent in through our academy scouts. He already had excellent ability but proved this over a considerable amount of time which led us to recommend him for a trial.
“Being at the Advanced Centre before his trial enabled him to have confidence and transition smoothly into the academy environment. It’s great to be working closely with the recruitment team at CAFC to enable these opportunities for young players.
“With Valley Gold supporting the centre for this season we are excited to see how many players we can improve, provide playing opportunities against the academy teams and from there see which players are capable to be put forward for trial.”