Forget Ronaldo, I’ll play like Terry

By Paul Pickering
LIKE most young Manchester United fans, James Vafiadis idolises Cristiano Ronaldo.
But he’d rather play like John Terry.
That fact tells you a fair bit about this level-headed 12-year-old from North Dandenong.
James has just been selected in the Victorian under-12 soccer team for next month’s School Sport Australia championships, but he has his feet firmly on the ground.
That’s why the talented central defender sees Terry – the Chelsea skipper and England hard-man – as a more realistic role model than the mercurial Portuguese striker, Ronaldo.
“I’d like to play like John Terry because he’s so tough on the ball,” James explained last week.
As James’s parents will testify, the Caulfield Grammar student has had a soccer ball at his feet ever since taking up the sport at the age of six.
Around 6,500 kids tried out for the state team, and James was more than a little surprised to make the final cut.
“I couldn’t believe it, because I didn’t have a very good last day of the trials,” he said.
There’s no false modesty there, and it’s clear that James had done enough to impress the selectors before that final day.
His performances with club side, South Melbourne, wouldn’t have hurt either.
James is part of a defence that has conceded just two goals in 14 games so far this season, while scoring 45 at the other end to ensure an unbeaten record in the Boys 12A East division.
James regards his speed and shooting as his main assets, but he says he needs to become steadier over the ball – just like Terry.
He has fitted in effortlessly with the Victorian team, because he already knew 80 per cent of the players through club competition – including two South Melbourne team-mates – and the trials.
Training is well underway for the national championships, and James is already relishing the opportunity.
“We’ve been told a lot about strategy and how we should play, and I’ve learnt a lot,” he said.
According to James, the Victorians have their sights set on a top three finish in the tournament.
With his first Victorian jersey in the closet, James is now well on the way to reaching his goal of playing in the Victorian Premier League one day.
He is reluctant to look too far past that.
While most kids of his ability would be dreaming of leading the Socceroos at the World Cup, James is typically modest about his aspirations.
“I’ll see how I go,” he said.