WALES football icon Ian Rush believes that we should follow the example of World Champions Italy by developing a national football training centre for Wales.
Ian Rush makes his comments on S4C’s football show Sgorio tonight (Monday, February 15 at 10pm, English subtitles) after visiting the National Technical Centre for Italian Football in Coverciano near Florence.
The former Wales, Liverpool and Juventus legend Ian Rush was part of a fact-finding team from the Football Association of Wales that went out to see the Italian Football Federation's world-famous peaceful, secluded but state-of-the art technical centre.
Ian Rush, elite performance director for the Welsh Football Trust, said: “I think it’s important that we look for a training centre like the one in Coverciano. Financially it’s going to be difficult, but we’ve got to look to the future.”
“We’ve taken big strides over the last three or four years, but there’s still a lot more to go, and I think it would go a long way to helping us achieve that.”
Sgorio also talked to FAW president Phil Pritchard and technical director of the Welsh Football Trust, Osian Roberts during their UEFA-sponsored visit to the Tuscan country retreat.
Phil Pritchard, who is also a member of UEFA’s Development and Technical Assistance Committee, agreed, saying: “We want our youngsters and our footballers to have as near as dammit the same opportunities, the same facilities and the same expertise that everybody else has.”
“We have to make sure we can afford it, but I’m confident we will get there in the next few years.”
Sgorio on Monday also includes the always-exciting clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, as well as highlights of Chelsea v Cardiff in the FA Cup and Welsh Premier action including Sunday’s match of the day between The New Saints – Bangor and Porthmadog’s visit to current League leaders Llanelli.