Budding footballers can sign up for some pro tips from ex-Premier League players in Dubai later this year.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Football Escapes are bringing England footballers Michael Owen and Jamie Redknapp to the UAE for two seven-day-long coaching sessions.
Joining the former Liverpool players is YouTuber and co-founder of F2Freestylers, Billy Wingrove, who is famed for his footballing tricks, acrobatics and techniques.
The courses are aimed at children aged 5 to 15 and are organised by Football Escapes, a luxury travel company set up by players Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Zamora and premiership football coach Sam Hubert.
The company runs several coaching sessions in destinations across the world, from the Maldives and China to Portugal and Cyprus. Packaged as family holidays, the escapes are designed to give children one-on-one sessions with professional footballers and Uefa-qualified coaches, while parents relax in luxury properties.
In Dubai, courses will take place at the family-friendly Jumeirah Beach Hotel. There, parents will have a choice of 13 restaurants, five swimming pools, a spa and a private beach to keep them entertained. Residents in the UAE can also get involved by booking the coaching weeks as standalone packages, without hotel accommodation or flight costs.
Each course consists of daily two-hour sessions with the pros, and all children taking part get their own Football Escapes kit, a signed certificate and a completion medal.
From Saturday, October 17, until Saturday, October 24, super-striker Owen will take children through their footballing paces under the sail-shaped shadow of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Redknapp and Wingrove will take over the reins for a second course set to run from Saturday, October 24, until Saturday, November 1. The former Liverpool midfielder and Sky Sports presenter will partner with the ex-Tottenham Hotspur Academy freestyle footballer Wingrove. The pair are set to share tricks and skills, while offering up a fun-filled week of football.
All-inclusive trips including flights with Emirates cost from £6,660 (Dh30,117) per family. Coaching sessions cost from £650. The company says all deposits will be fully refundable if any travel or session are cancelled due to coronavirus complications.
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