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Islam Feruz - 15 year old striker from Celtic

Hutch
in Chelsea FC Reserves & Youth Team

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Islam Feruz bails out of Celtic Park for Chelsea

islam_feruz.jpg

Celtic have lost one of their top youngsters to English Premier League giants Chelsea, as Somali-born Islam Feruz swaps Parkhead for Stamford Bridge.

According to our source close to Celtic’s youth setup Feruz will make the move to Stamford Bridge, and will be paid £2,500 per week in wages. He will also share a penthouse flat near the ground, paid for by the club.

A legal loophole, means that the English side can sign Feruz for a compensation fee of no more than £300,000. Feruz cannot formally sign professional terms until his 16th birthday in September, but Chelsea have stolen a march on the Parkhead side to swoop for one of Scotland’s up and coming talents.

It is a massive blow to Celtic, who helped the player and his family stay in Glasgow after fleeing war-torn Somalia in 2001. They were saved from deportation by the late Tommy Burns, who lobbied government officials.

The youngster made his first ever senior outing for Celtic in the Tommy Burns’ memorial game in 2009, where he lit up the event with his raw talent. And due to the five-year school rule, now represents Scotland despite having no Scottish bloodline.

LINK



The Tommy Burns memorial was in May 2009 iirc, and the article mentions his 16th birthday being in September, so he played in the memorial, and had this picture taken of him when he was 13?!

The Tommy Burns memorial was in May 2009 iirc, and the article mentions his 16th birthday being in September, so he played in the memorial, and had this picture taken of him when he was 13?!

14 according to this brief video:

Certainly looks a lot older than that to me.

But if he is only 15yo now (16th birthday in September) , and the memorial game was over 2 years ago.... Is this another Obafemi Martins effort?

Quick google search, his DOB is 10th September 1995, the memorial game was 31st May 2009.



But if he is only 15yo now (16th birthday in September) , and the memorial game was over 2 years ago.... Is this another Obafemi Martins effort?

Quick google search, his DOB is 10th September 1995, the memorial game was 31st May 2009.

Perhaps. It seems to be reasonable prevalent in Africa for sportsmen to use fake birth certificates, makes them stand out more and get a better chance of getting picked up. E.g. if a 17 year old has a certificate saying he is 14 he can run rings around the kids younger than him if he's any good and physically more built up.

Of course this is all speculation in this case.



  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

I remember starting a "Rumours" thread on Islam Feruz a few week back, but haven't heard anything since. Unsurprisingly it's been forgotten about, what with all the excitement surrounding the transfer window. Have a look anyway, it's got what I think is the same article you've linked to and also a video of the kid in action:

Islam Feruz (rumours)



Cheers Hutch, I did think to check the Rumours section but didn't see anything on the first two pages so posted in here.

Quite the interesting story on the lad, even had the Government help him and his family remain in Scotland when it seemed they were to go back to Somalia.

I've always wanted the days for a Scottish international to be in the Chelsea ranks again. Just didn't think he'd come via Somalia.... wonder what his accesnt is like?

Celtic starlet Islam Feruz has agreed to join Chelsea, his agent has confirmed to skysports.com.

Feruz has just turned 16, but instead of signing a first professional contract at Parkhead he is instead moving south to England.

The likes of Manchester United,spacer.gifManchester City,spacer.gifNewcastle Unitedspacer.gif and Blackburn Roversspacer.gif have all been linked but Chelseaspacer.gif have always been leading the chase and they have secured a deal.

The Somalian-born forward, who has been capped by Scotland at youth level, has agreed terms with Chelsea and Celticspacer.gif will be due training compensation.

"It is a massive step for Islam and for Scottish football," his agent Rui Alves told skysports.com.

"Now for him personally it is the beginning of a major adventure, he will have to work, work and work and raise his own level.

"Playing for a top club like Chelsea, where the major word in the squad is quality, will oblige him to show his own quality and deliver his best and convince the staff that he is more than just a major prospect."

Alves admits that there was little doubt he would join Chelsea after they impressed him so much.

"The first impression was extraordinary, it is a feeling that the whole club is behind him, they will support him on a daily basis and give him total trust and make him believe," he continued.

Big interest

He confirmed that Chelsea fended off interest from around Europe to land Feruz, adding: "It was not just every club in the Premiership but also most big clubs in Europe who were tracking him. He is the one serious player in Scotland at the moment."

Feruz has been described as the Scottish 'Wayne Rooney' but Alves insists those comparisons are not accurate.

"Islam is a totally different player than Rooney - he is explosive with an amazing strength and good strike, but due to his speed he can also play on both wings," he said.

"But like Rooney, Islam doesn't cheat, you won't see him crying on the floor begging for cards or arguing with referees and I believe he will raise his level very, very fast."

Alves did, though, confirm Feruz will continue to pledge his international allegiance to Scotland and will not forget what Celtic did for him. "He is looking forward to starting his career with Chelsea, but he would love to thank Celtic for all they did for him and his parents, he is Scottish and will one day score goals for Scotland."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_7171454,00.html

Sounds like an interesting signing

"It was not just every club in the Premiership but also most big clubs in Europe who were tracking him. He is the one serious player in Scotland at the moment."

Yet he hasn't played a single game for Celtic reserves, let alone their first team.

Sure, sure sure sure he's still very (very!) young, but Rooney was immense for Everton's first team at the same age, so why he's being hailed as the 'Scottish Rooney' and playing in a much worse league is a little confusing. Think it's just his agent bigging him up to much.

Needless to say I'm still pretty excited about this signing and it does sound like he has huge potential, but I'm taking his agents quote (as always) with a huge pinch of salt.



Does this count towards me hoping to see a Scottish player ina Chelsea shirt...even if he's Somalian?

I wonder if he's got a funky Scottish/Somalian accent

It's called "

Somalegian"

Cheers Hutch, I did think to check the Rumours section but didn't see anything on the first two pages so posted in here.

Quite the interesting story on the lad, even had the Government help him and his family remain in Scotland when it seemed they were to go back to Somalia.

I've always wanted the days for a Scottish international to be in the Chelsea ranks again. Just didn't think he'd come via Somalia.... wonder what his accesnt is like?

Might be a few months until anyone at the club knows what he is saying ahhahaa



Why?

Because he's so big and stro...wait? What's that? He's only 5'6 and scrawny? Oh.

I dread to think how old Bluksies thinks Lukaku is.



Because he's so big and stro...wait? What's that? He's only 5'6 and scrawny? Oh.

I dread to think how old Bluksies thinks Lukaku is.

Lukaku is Belgian with a famous footballer as a father, if he was going to forge a birth certificate he'd get found out.

It's very common in Africa for people in their late teens or early 20s to forge certificates claiming to be quite a few years younger, happens all the time.

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