Italy-bound for soccer skills- Dandenong’s Anthony Carter will be living in Italy for the next four weeks honing his soccer skills under the watchful eye of the Genova International School of Soccer.

By Justin Robertson
THE tiny Italian town of Zane sits 60 kilometres west of Venice in the north east.
For Dandenong’s Anthony Carter, that will be his new home for the next four weeks.
He’ll be living his dream of one day hoping to become like Argentina’s golden boy Lionel Messi when he and a squad of under-14 players from the Genova International School of Soccer (GISS) head there to hone there skills through the academy.
It’s Carter’s second time to Italy and he’s even more excited this time around.
“I really want to make it and prove to everyone I can do it,” said the 16-year-old striker. “It’s been my dream since I was five to be a professional soccer player and now I’ve seeing how to do it and what it takes to be a professional soccer player.”
While there he’ll train six days a week which will include an afternoon session at Zane’s stadium complex located in the village as well as league games and friendlies.
After Carter finishes his short month in Italy, he plans on making a return trip in January until May where he’ll play soccer and go to school.
“I can’t play any matches yet until I get my European passport” he said. “But that should come through by December and I’ll be right to play when the season starts in January.”
Carter will join several ex-Melbourne Phoenix team-mates in Italy who have already graduated from the GISS and have been placed with Italian teams this year.
A total of seven players have been placed at several clubs including two who have signed with Vicenza Calcio and three are trialling at Trento Calcio just in the last three months.
Carter said apart from learning a new language and delving into a brand new culture, he’s prepared to do the hard yards in order to achieve his dream.
“Its an amazing opportunity and I am extremely grateful,” he said. “To play football there and grow as a player and develop more is all I want to do.”