TALENTED Warrington & Vale Royal College sports student Harry Roper is chasing his dream of becoming a professional goalkeeper.
Harry is one of a number of gifted Sports students excelling in their sporting careers at the college where Harry is studying Sport Level 3.
A former Irlam & Cadishead Academy student, Harry has always chased his passion and joined Pro-Football Academy (PFA) at age 15. It was whilst training here he was approached by head coach Gareth Hughes, who leads grassroots football training academy, Coach Right. Gareth immediately spotted Harry’s potential and encouraged him to play for Coach Right’s first team. Although the pandemic has meant matches have often been put on hold, Harry continues to train diligently and even shares his passion and knowledge by coaching the younger players at Coach Right’s youth academy.
Since September this year, Harry has joined Old Alts, a team in the Manchester League Premier Division, which is the highest league in amateur football in the Manchester region. He currently plays in their first team and has delivered some impressive performances, including saving a penalty against rivals Maine Road Reserves. Harry says, “My coach advised me if I wanted to become a professional player, I’d need to commit to the team which is something I was ready to do. I want to progress as high up in football as I can.”
Alongside his goalkeeping dreams, Harry continues to excel on his college course; carefully managing a packed schedule of studying, training and coaching. He says learning about topics such as nutrition and physiology on the course has been helpful in informing his practice, and he says he has had the full support from his tutors, who often follow his progress. Harry’s tutor Chris Percival says: “Harry’s engagement is exemplary and he is one of our most committed students, whether that’s in classroom-based activities or in remote learning. He is someone other classmates look up to; a real role model.”
Do you have a passion for Sport? Our courses give you the best foundation to explore the variety of exciting careers within the sports industry. To find out more about Warrington & Vale Royal College’s sport courses, please visit www.wvr.ac.uk.
