Kenya is full of soccer talent, Arsenal academy coach Rupen Shah

Kenya is full of soccer talent, Arsenal academy coach Rupen Shah

Despite going for twelve years without lifting the English Premier League trophy, Arsenal academy coach Rupen Shah sees a hero in Arsene Wenger.

Shah, who has doubled as the Gunners under 11 side for seven years and a coaching development trainer in the club’s programs across the world, has termed the trophy dry period as unfortunate.

“Wenger has been at Arsenal for over 20 years and he has over the period completely transformed the philosophy and the style of play to what every club fan all the world is proud of. We have been quite unlucky in the previous seasons because we have not won the silverware we should have won, but success goes beyond that,” Shah told Citizen Digital at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies after a training session with players and coaches.

He was reluctant to comment on the future of the French coach at the helm of the club but maintained the culture he has cultivated is a trailblazer achievement that will go down in the books of history.

Wenger experienced the most embarrassing period in his tenure at the club since joining it in 1996 from Japan’s Nagoya Grumpus Eight, towards the end of the 2015-2016 season when fans openly demanded his exit following the poor performance in a season won by Leicester City, a team that waited for over a century to lift the prestigious trophy.

On the state of Kenyan football, the coach acknowledged that the country has good talents and only needs to make good use of the same.

“The response has been absolutely brilliant; seeing them hungry and enthusiastic to learn something new. There is a lot of talent and here, I have been to Kenya four times now and every time I come here, I see real talent. We just need to put in place the conducive environment for the players to prosper,” he added.

On Harambee Stars captain Victor Mugubi, Shah notes he is a great story in the world of sports.

“He is undoubtedly a fantastic player, reading his story that he grew at the western part of Kenya, developed here and has fitted so well in the English Premier League is just amazing.”

Shah is in Kenya leading other two coaches from Arsenal network of coaching development programme; Mohammed Moaz Awaldelkarim and Paul Drew Tyler.

The training ends Saturday, May 28th when the legendary Arsenal Defender Sol Campbell issues certificates to participating coaches.

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