A team of Indian boys enjoyed a unique experience in England recently thanks to the help the Premier League is providing to develop the game in Asia.
The Premier League has been supporting football development in India for more than a decade, with a mutual cooperation agreement signed with the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014.
As part of this support, the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RYFC) Academy brought over its Under-15 side for 11 days, during which they visited some of the best academy sides in the Premier League, and played against them, too.
The Academy is based in Mumbai and is recognised by the All-India Football Federation as the country's only five-star residential academy.
"We select throughout India, we train every day and we try to play as many games as possible," said Sandro Salami, the RYFC Under-15 coach.
"It is a great opportunity for those boys to see the other side of the world, to see how other kids live, so it has a lot of benefits."
Visit to Leicester
Earlier in the year Leicester City had taken their Under-14s to Mumbai for the Football Development Week to play RYFC and experience life in India.
So, this time, Leicester were the hosts and some of the same Under-14s faced them again in a tournament that also featured Aston Villa at the Foxes' training ground.
The best of 2019 Football Development Week
"Some of these boys went over there, and our coaching staff, and it was a fantastic experience," said Ian Cawley, Leicester's Academy manager.
"It is all about putting our young people in different experiences and to interact with a different culture."
Rhys, one of the Leicester boys, added: "It was a great experience to see how they play. It’s always different."
'Not only about football but your life'
The Reliance Foundation Young Champs also played Southampton, Reading, Stoke City, Arsenal and Manchester United. They also saw Man Utd's first team play a Premier League match at Old Trafford.
They enjoyed a training session at Queens Park Rangers with Les Ferdinand, the former striker, who attended the Football Development Week.
"I learned to play good football and make faster decisions when you are on the pitch, learn a lot of tactical stuff about pressing and game style," one RYFC player, Mikhil, said.
But, as it was for the Leicester youngsters and coaches in Mumbai, the aim of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs' visit to England was not limited to developing them on the pitch.
"We learn a lot from Young Champs as footballers, and they say it is not only about football but also about your life," Chirag, another of their players, said.
