Hard work paying off for talented Academy recruits

Fourteen-year-old Helayna Douglas from Milngavie has been training with the Academy for three years and now all that hard work has paid off as she has just achieved her dream and signed for Scotland.

Ten-year-old Aaron McDonald from Duntocher and 12-year-old Nathan Ross from Giffnock have also both signed professionally with Queen’s Park.

The Academy is currently seeking young male and female players who are already playing football and have a desire to go professional. Spaces are limited but a few have become available in the 10-12 age class and in the new training group for seven to nine-year-olds.

The elite Academy was launched in 2018 by Greg Docherty, a professional footballer from Glasgow who currently plays for Championship side Hull City.

He started his professional football career aged nine at Hamilton Accies before going on to play for clubs such as Rangers and Hibs then moving down south to play.

The head coach, Tommi Orismaa, studied at the renowned Sports Institute of Finland and has lived in Scotland for the last 25 years, coaching youngsters of all ages and abilities across a variety of sports.

He fully understands what it takes to become a professional athlete.

They started the Football Academy, which trains at Douglas Academy, to give youngsters the chance to develop their skills in order to move up to the next stage.

The Academy is an elite training group and not a football club meaning it only has space for a maximum of 10 players in each age range.

Greg Docherty said: “I’ve known Tommi my whole life and he helped me become the professional I am today.

"I meet a lot of talented youngsters who would benefit from the kind of specialised advice and support that this Academy can offer.

"Tommi covers every aspect of what it takes to become a professional athlete – from what to eat before training to what additional core exercises or individual technical coaching each youngster requires.”