PSC European U20 Showcase Madrid & Basque Region, Spain 2021 • Test Yourself Against Pro Teams in Europe!
• EXPERIENCE LIFE AS A PROFESISONAL IN SPAIN!
• 11 Days in Madrid & Bilbao, Spain Showcasing to and against Pro Clubs. • All Inclusive Accommodation at 3 and 4 Star Hotels. • Showcase to clubs, scouts and agents from around the world! • Professional coaching of the highest level. • 3 meals per day. • Professional soccer training facilities. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM
• Competition against, and showcasing to, professional European clubs.
• Professional coaching of the highest level from European coaches.
• 11 days showcasing to clubs in Europe.
• Professional training facilities in Spain.
• Face professional opposition and get international exposure.
• Hotel Accommodation and three meals per day.
• Guest coaches from professional European backgrounds.
• A realistic pathway and first step for players looking to get into European soccer.
• Assess attributes (mentality, tactical, physical and technical skills) of potential players that the PSC Agency staff consider working with.
• Provide players with an insight into professional European soccer and what is expected of them to compete at the highest level.
PSC Showcase team v Austrian Premier League • Coaches, scouts, and agents attending from numerous European countries. opposition. WHO ARE PSC?
Since the company was founded in 2002, we have organized over 90 professional team tours across 30 different countries in Europe and several professional tours to North America. We have continued our success in recent years by arranging professional club tours to England, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore - as well as organizing North America and UK tours for premier division sides from England, France and Spain including Valencia, Real Valladolid, Norwich City, OSG Nice, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City FC. It is this considerable experience, combined with our first-class professionalism, that guarantees our clients the best possible services available.
PSC Management (agency) is headed by Mark Taylor, who is based in the UK. He currently represents players from the English Premier League, the English Championship, the MLS, NASL, and USL. Recent players he has placed within Europe's top leagues include Manchester City's midfielder/outside back Oleksandr Zinchenko and former Hull City goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
PSC’s North American academy and showcase programs are headed by Tom Taylor and Simon Deeley. During the last seven years PSC USA have helped over 450+ men and women gain opportunities in the professional game in Europe, Asia and the United States. They have developed PSC into North America’s most successful combine and placement company and offer a realistic pathway into the professional game. What is our Mission & Goal? With PSC being the country’s most successful academy for placing North American players into pro clubs in the USA and Europe then the aim of our European Showcase tour is to evaluate and showcase players from North America against top quality U20 professional opposition in Spain in front of our agency team and professional coaches from Europe. Our FIFA licensed agency has been in operation since 2002 placing over 475+ North American players into the pro game creating professional opportunities worldwide. In the last 18 years we have a proven track record and clear pathway for our top performing players on our programs and many have gone onto have excellent careers in the pro game. We have global opportunities for players and all the bases covered with consistent success stories each year in many different countries. Our experience and success is unrivalled anywhere within the United States and we have long standing relationships with professional clubs and the National team in the Basque region where the showcase will be held. Leading the professional football team in Spain will be our two Official FIFA Licensed Match Agents, Mark Taylor and Javier Herranz with a vast experience in player placements, friendly games and professional tournaments in Europe and worldwide for more than 20 years. Come and prove yourself against top quality opposition in one of Spain's top regions for soccer that includes La Liga & La Liga 2 teams such as Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Deportivo Alaves, Racing Santander, SD Eibar and over 20 more elite clubs in the region! WHAT'S INCLUDED?
• 11 Days Professional Football Experience in Madrid & Bilbao, Spain Showcasing to and against Pro Clubs. • All Inclusive Accommodation at 3 and 4 Star Hotels. • Showcase to clubs, scouts and agents from around the world! • Professional coaching of the highest level. • 3 meals per day. • Professional soccer training facilities for training and games. • Video of all games. • All transportation within Spain included for PSC activities. • Train and live like a professional player. • PSC 1 to 1 consultation and career guidance. • Video analysis sessions of performance. • Competition against professional opposition! • A professional opportunity and pathway into the pro game! • Individual player analysis and evaluations. • Individual GPS Player maker data given to every player. • Soccer Uniforms and travel wear to keep. • Laundry of player uniforms and training kits throughout the tour. • Test yourself against professional opposition in Spain! • PSC professional coaches costs, athletic trainers at all sessions and media services for the tour. • Guest European professional players and coaches Q&A Sessions with players. • Sightseeing trips in Madrid, Bilbao and other famous tourist destinations.
High quality natural grass and turf fields from the best facilities in the Basque region will host the competition matches and trainings! SAMPLE SCHEDULE Please note, this is a sample schedule and subject to change based on team availability and other logistical components.
Date AM PM
Monday July 26th (MADRID) Arrive into Madrid, Spain Airport. Collection at airport Introduction to PSC staff & tours aims. Sightseeing in and private transfers to hotel. Madrid and opening team meal.
Tuesday July 27th (MADRID & BILBAO) Visit to Real Madrid Stadium. Private Bus to Basque region (3.5 hours). 1 to 1 meetings with PSC staff and Evening training session.
Wednesday July 28th (BILBAO) Morning Training Session. Afternoon training session. Evening visiting local sightseeing spot such as Bilbao, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/20-must- visit-attractions-in-bilbao-spain/
Thursday July 29th (BILBAO) Morning Training Session. SHOWCASE GAME 1
Friday July 30th (BILBAO) Recovery session and Game Analysis SHOWCASE GAME 2
Saturday July 31st (BILBAO) Recovery session and Game Analysis Trip to local sightseeing venue such as San Sebastian, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Sebasti%C3%A1n Biarritz, France https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g187080- Biarritz_Basque_Country_Pyrenees_Atlantiques_Nouvelle_ Aquitaine-Vacations.html SAMPLE SCHEDULE Please note, this is a sample schedule and subject to change based on team availability and other logistical components.
Date AM PM
Sunday August 1st (BILBAO) Morning Training Session. Afternoon visiting local sightseeing spot such as Bilbao, Guest Talk with Pro Spanish Coach https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/20-must- visit-attractions-in-bilbao-spain/
Evening training session.
WATCH LIVE GAME OF LA LIGA TEAM (ATLETIC BILBAO) Monday August 2nd (BILBAO) Morning Training Session. SHOWCASE GAME 3 Guest Talk with Pro Player
Tuesday August 3rd (BILBAO) Recovery session and Game Analysis SHOWCASE GAME 4 1 to 1 meetings with PSC staff
Wednesday August 4th (MADRID & BILBAO) Private Bus to Madrid region (3.5 hours). Further Sightseeing in Madrid and closing team meal. SHOWCASE GAME 5
Thursday August 5th (MADRID) Private transfer to Madrid, Spain Airport. Arrive back in the USA. Fly home to USA. HOTEL & LOCATIONS
PSC’s tour players and staff will be based at the 4 Star NH Hotel, La Avanzada close to Bilbao Spain, for 8 nights. The hotel has hosted many professional soccer and basketball teams with excellent facilities and it is conveniently located less than 1 mile to the professional soccer training complex the team will use in Leioa. The squad will also be based in Madrid, Spain for 2 nights at a city center hotel close to all the local attractions and tourist sites.
Players will stay at 3 and 4 star hotel accommodations within close proximity of the training and game facility. The hotel will have Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, meeting rooms, laundry, restaurant and a shared room for tour players.
Players will be provided with accommodation, three meals per day, all ground and bus transfers, professional coaching, training kit and the opportunity to compete in showcase games against elite opposition in front of the PSC Agency staff and European clubs/scouts in attendance. Bilbao & Basque Country Bilbao and the Basque region is a fantastic destination for soccer players to experience the Spanish style of football and their rich football traditions! Based on the north coast of Spain close to the border of France then the area is geographically situated in a soccer hotbed, offering an extremely high level of play in the area. Explore this amazing region and discover its culture, gastronomy, history and beauty. Our staff have an excellent reputation with the professional football clubs and facilities in the region to offer a top class professional experience for everyone involved! As well as Spanish clubs we will have agents, scouts and coaches from other European regions to offer our players many different routes and pathways following the tour if they excel during the tour. Our Professional football agents are endorsed by FIFA and in cooperation with the Spanish and English Football Associations. Preseason training and preparation ahead of the 2020/21 season start will start in July 2021 so it will offer our players a great chance to come up against quality opponents in Spain. The country offers fantastic weather, top class hotels, food and more importantly excellent opposition to test our international showcase team to see if they have what it takes to make it at the professional level in front of a host of different scouts and coaches. See on the following pages some of the stadiums and teams that we work with and will be facing as opposition for our upcoming tour in 2021.
Further Links on Bilbao and the Local Area:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/7-reasons-why-you-should-visit-bilbao-at-least-once- in-your-lifetime/?_branch_match_id=839181754322168996 About Bilbao
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-most-beautiful-beaches-in-the-basque- country/?_branch_match_id=839181816035645566 Beaches in Basque Country
Madrid, Spain As the capital city of Spain, Madrid has a huge range of things to do, places to eat and is home of La Liga giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain, located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula plain 646 meters above sea level and spans a total of 698 km² (233.3 sq mi). The population of the city is roughly 3.2 million. Our showcase will begin and end in Madrid to allow our players the chance to visit the historic sights of the capital and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium home of arguably the worlds biggest football club. Real Madrid information Short history Real Madrid was founded in 1902 and the in year 2000 was named the FIFA Club of the 20th century. They have won La Liga 32 times, so without a doubt one of the best teams in Spain throughout history. Famous players From old days some of the most famous players of the team are Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Gento, Raymond Kopa and Santamaría, while in newer times Raul is known as the guy who played a total of 741 first team matches, followed by Iker Casillas who left the club in tears in the summer of 2015 after playing 721 matches. Besides Raul famous players such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo have been superstars on the team in recent years. Stadium Real Madrid plays their matches at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium which has capacity for more than 80,000 spectators. The stadium was finished around 1947 and since then Real Madrid has played their home matches at this stadium. Elite Opposition
Deportivo Alaves
Athletic Club Bilbao Real Sociedad
SD Eibar Elite Opposition
REAL SOCIEDAD ‘B’
Foundation year 1950 Stadium name Zubieta Stadium Stadium capacity 2500 Year of construction 2004 Grass type Natural grass Field dimensions 105 x 68 meters Elite Opposition
BILBAO ATHLETIC (B TEAM)
Foundation year 1964 Stadium name Lezama Stadium capacity 3250 Year of construction 1971 Grass type Natural grass Field dimensions 105 x 68 meters Elite Opposition
DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS ‘B’
Foundation year 1960 Stadium name Ibaia Stadium capacity 1300 Year of construction 1982 Grass type Natural grass Field dimensions 105 x 67 meters Elite Opposition
SD LEIOA
Foundation year 1925 Stadium name Sarriena Stadium capacity 3741 Year of construction 1988 Grass type Turf Field dimensions 105 x 68 meters Elite Opposition > Real Unión was among the pioneering clubs of Spanish football, and in 1928 was a founding member of La Liga. > Spanish Cup winner (1913, 1918, 1924, 1927) and 1 times runners-up. > Spanish FA Cup winners 2003, 2009
REAL UNIÓN CLUB IRÚN
Foundation year 1915 Stadium name GAL Stadium capacity 6350 Year of construction 1926 Grass type Natural grass Field dimensions 100 x 67 meters Elite Opposition > Arenas Club was among the pioneering clubs of Spanish football, and in 1928 was a founding member of La Liga. > Spanish Cup winner (1919) and 3 times runners-up.
ARENAS CLUB GETXO
Foundation year 1909 Stadium name Gobela Stadium capacity 2000 Year of construction 2004 Grass type Turf Field dimensions 105 x 68 meters Elite Opposition
SESTAO RIVER CLUB
Foundation year 1916 Stadium name Las Llanas Stadium capacity 4400 Year of construction 1927 Grass type Natural Grass Field dimensions 102 x 64 meters Instalaciones Municipales de Sarriena (Leioa) Distance Distance Distance to to to NH Hotel: 1kmNH Bilbao: 12,3 km Bilbao: 12,3 Airport : 7 km7 : Top Class Facilities Top Class Facilities PSC Owner
Paul Taylor, Managing Director of PSC, encompasses over 40 years of top-level professional football experience; ranging from playing, coaching and management in both England with Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester United, York City, Walsall FC, Gillingham FC and Southport with over 250 appearances in the football league as a player and over 25 seasons as a coach and Director of Football. In the USA he played and coached with the Columbus Magic, Team Hawaii and Los Angeles Skyhawks for 4 years winning the ASL Championship in his first season as a coach. He founded PSC in the UK in 2002 starting it as a FIFA licensed agency and placing a number of players into the English Premier League and Championship from abroad. In conjunction with player placement he arranged many Premier League team tours for sides such as Everton FC, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Real Zaragoza and many more..
Paul has spent over 25 years coaching and managing professionally in England - the last 17 of which he spent as Director of Football at Walsall FC, in charge of all football matters of the club from youth football to senior levels transforming the club from a struggling League 2 club to a Championship side. During the 1999 season he assembled a team to gain promotion to the Championship from League one finishing above big spending Manchester City on a budget that was one of the lowest in the league. During the 2000/01 season he was also involved in the probably the teams greatest ever moment beating Alan Pardews Reading in a nail biting 3-2 playoff final win at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to gain another promotion to the Championship division.
Over the many years at Walsall FC he has brought in players from all around the globe on free transfers into English football and gone on to sell players to the top flight creating millions of pounds of transfers for the football club. As well as creating a successful first team and transfer policy within the club he was responsible for the creation of a successful youth academy that has produced many top players over the years including current premier league players such as Troy Deeney (Watford) and Scott Dann (Crystal Palace).
In recent years he has consulted for a number of teams around the world including MLS sides, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps ahead of their moves to Major League Soccer. Paul’s experience within the game and expertise at all levels offers the best possible service available for all out clients! PSC Directors
Mark Taylor – FIFA Licensed Player & Match Agent CEO / Director
Mark possesses over 20 years of working with professional clubs and players in the soccer industry and has a BA Hons degree in Sport Management. He represents a number of players in the English Premier League and other leagues in England and around the world. He has also been responsible for organising a number of high profile games / tours for English Premier League teams in recent years, a number of which were in the USA and Canada. Notable players he has brought to England include, Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester City, Jan Olbak of Athletico Madrid, Harris Vuckic to Newcastle United and many more.
Tom Taylor – Head of North America Operations Director
Tom has played professional soccer in England, Norway and America from 2003 until 2011. His playing career has included spells with Derby County, Walsall, Grimsby Town (England), Viking Stavanger (Norway), Real Maryland, Portland Timbers and Wilmington Hammerheads (USA). He is an FA Licensed coach and also holds a USSF B Coaching License and was First team Coach at Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL in 2015 & 2016 seasons and Wilmington Hammerheads prior to that. Since 2010 he has been responsible for operations of PSC Soccer and turning it into the United States most successful soccer academy for placing players into the pro game in Europe and USA. He has a plethora of contacts throughout the professional and college game in order to assist aspiring soccer players. PSC Tour Directors / Coaches
Simon Deeley - USA Director and Head of Recruitment
Simon is a UEFA and USSF licensed coach who has worked with PSC since 2011 as Director of Player Recruitment and Event Management. During his time with PSC he has been instrumental in the planning, organizing and directing of English Premier League First team tours across America such as West Bromwich Albion’s tour to California (2011) and Swansea City’s tour to California (2012) and Chicago (2014). During this period he has directed 40 showcase tours and over 100 Professional Soccer Combines throughout the US and Europe assisting and facilitating in many of the 475+ success stories we have announced sine 2010.
Martin O’Connor - PSC Coach and Bristol City Scout, English Championship is a former English Premier League player who played and captained English teams including Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Walsall FC, among others. A holder of the UEFA A license he has been a professional coach for over 15 years including a recent spell as Head Coach for Walsall FC in England’s League 1.
He is a scout for English Championship club Bristol City, and represented the Cayman Islands at international level, before becoming Assistant Head Coach at Walsall FC from 2009 – 2011.
While playing for Birmingham City, Martin captained the side that reached the League Cup final against Liverpool FC in 2001 - a contest that they narrowly lost following a penalty shootout. Martin has a plethora of experience at all levels of the game and has been on many successful PSC tours in recent years helping players with their development and guiding them with his wealth of knowledge within the pro game! PSC PLAYER TESTIMONIALS
Eric McWoods, 2018 November European Tour Participant:
Signed with JK Narva Trans (Estonia, Premier League) “The Showcase Tour was great. Staff are very knowledgeable and genuine when it comes to the players and football. They put me in positions where I could excel, and made sure that I would be comfortable when I arrived in Estonia,”
“PSC staff look after you, and make sure you are in the best situation possible to follow your dreams,”
Eric played in 2019-2020 UEFA Europa League this season with JK Narva, just a few short months after attending our 2018 Sweden showcase tour. Following this he has signed in the Hungarian and Malta Premier Leagues in 2019 and 2020 through PSC Soccer. PLAYER TESTIMONIALS Eddy Prugh: Gary Cennerazzo: Willie Clemons: Signed with Bodens BK Signed with Melleruds IF Signed with Bodens BK (Sweden) (Sweden) “After I graduated from college, I had zero options to (Sweden) “It was surreal as I had to phone my continue my career. It’s not as if you can just call a parents and explain that I wouldn’t be team and ask for a trial, so I turned to PSC to help back for three months. I had never done me find a club. They were honest and direct from the “I’d definitely recommend [the anything of this kind, but I am glad I did it very beginning. Both the combines and the Sweden Showcase Tours]. They get you in front with PSC. Trust me, please, it’s worth it. Showcase Tour which I attended were well organized of a lot of high-quality opposition and It’s an amazing opportunity and I am very and gave me the chance to sign a professional high-quality coaches – I think it’s a thankful to PSC, Tom and Simon [PSC contract. Working with PSC turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career.” great place to jump-start your career.” Directors] for making it happen.”
* Signed with Bodens BK and now playing in * Gary signed 3 professional contracts through PSC in * Eddy signed 4 professional contracts through PSC in the Superettan the years following the tour the years following the tour PSC SHOWCASE VIDEOS
• Copy and paste link to watch PSC Elite Showcase promo video: https://goo.gl/2X559g
• Copy and paste link to watch PSC Portugal and Spain promo video: https://goo.gl/p42GHA
• Copy and paste link to watch PSC v Legia Warsaw promo in Malta video: https://goo.gl/abrG7K
Elite games against top-level opposition: PSC Showcase Teams have faced all levels of opposition - from UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitors, to lower league professional clubs, and top amateur teams from around the world. MEDICAL TREATMENT AND EMERGENCIES
• It is of vital importance that players inform staff of any outstanding injuries, health concerns, medication or dietary requirements in advance of the tour so arrangements can be made if necessary. • If prescribed medication is required, sufficient supplies for the entirety of the Showcase Tour should be brought with the player. • Permission for international transport of personal medication is the responsibility of the player. A personal letter or medical report from a doctor covering the need and nature of the medication is advisable. • Personal insurance cover is also highly recommended. This insurance should cover possible hospitalization incase of sickness or injury. • It is also advisable to purchase a flexible return flight ticket to cover any emergency needs which may occur.
Injuries that occur during the tour:
• The tour will include trained and qualified physical therapy staff. If further medical attention is required, a local hospital is located nearby the accommodation and training facilities. • Our medical and fitness staff are available at all practices and games. • All players are required to obtain secure travel insurance prior to the trip, so that they are covered for any medical treatment. FLIGHT AND TRAVEL
Flight Assistance Players can contact PSC’s Travel Agent Linda Preston. She will locate suitable flights for the players in order to prevent individuals from waiting at the airport for long periods of time.
We strongly advise players to book their flights with PSC’s travel agent. This will make logistics easier incase of any travel delay or cancellation. Players should quote ‘PSC U20 Spain Summer Showcase Tour’ when contacting Linda.
E-mail: Linda Preston [email protected]
Visa’s If you need to secure a travel visa for Spain please look to do so as early as possible. We are happy to assist in this process by writing a visa invitation letter for you, please contact us if you need this. If you have a US Passport then you do not need a visa to travel to Spain and have no action to take. CONTACT US If you have any questions, please reach out to our staff:
Website: www.pscsocceracademy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PSCLimited/
E-mail: [email protected] Instagram: @psc_combine