Soccer: Former Glory star in Albany

Former Perth Glory star and current Football West development officer Jamie Harnwell has visited Albany over the past three days promoting the sport of soccer.

Picture by Laurie Benson: Jamie Harnwell with one of the Albany Junior Soccer Association’s country week squads

Visiting Albany for only the second time, Harnwell said he loved venturing out into the country regions.

“Something I was briefed on when I got the job was getting out to the regions and using my profile as a former Glory player to promote football,” he said.

“It is the first time I have been to Albany since I came on a school camp when I was about 10 but I love getting around the State and I was very well received.”

He said the immense talent in Albany was on display and spoke about the pathway to the big league.

“It is a pretty viable career, it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance,” Harnwell said.

“I never made into State teams and it wasn’t until 17, 18 that I broke through, I tell kids never to give up and you want them to keep playing.”

The continued rise of country week soccer is something Harnwell said had been a focus and in the future a way of indentifying talent quicker.

“In the past we have not provided pathways for players to come up from country week into State teams,” he said.

“It is hard to develop good players without good coaches and if we give the coaches access to tactics and knowledge they may not have access to, it will help kids get identified better and a lot quicker.”

Harnwell was jovial about the quick weather change in Albany on Thursday, bright sunshine to heavy hail, but said it was all part of the caper.

Got a story? Email Cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com