Binfield Football Club isn’t just about the first team – we have teams starting with our Soccer School, through our junior teams and then our Allied Under 18s and the U23 Development Team. This player pathway gives young local players the opportunity to develop their football skills and provides a progression from youth football into adult football .
There are a number of players that have progressed through along the pathway and we are going to talk to them about their experiences at Binfield FC.
First up is James Gilbert. 16 year-old James has broken through to the Allieds U18 Team this season and has been selected to play for the Berkshire U16s. He started with the club at Soccer School 11 Years ago where he scored 9 goals in one game!!!
You started out at soccer school – what do you remember most about those early sessions, and what made you fall in love with football?
The fact of being able to play football with my friends and at the start it was more about the fun and not the football.
What was the biggest challenge moving from soccer school into competitive football, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was probably coming up against people my age who were better than me at the time. However overtime, I built up the courage to want to improve in the sport and start taking football more seriously.
Is there a coach, teammate, or moment that has had a big impact on your progress so far?
My Dad who originally got me in to the sport, Craig Gilbert, helped me develop massively as a player. He helped me to achieve my goals and improve throughout the seasons. We would go and do 1-to-1 sessions whenever we had spare time and still do additional pre-season sessions together.
What goals are you setting for yourself this season, and where do you hope your football journey takes you next?
I want to have a balance of education and football as I will be studying A-levels next year. I want to be pushing myself to get into the Under 23s or reserves and keep up my form in the Allieds while potentially catching the eye of the first team coach – whilst still being able to enjoy playing football.
