Football veteran joins RIASA tour to Finland

Following on from the exciting announcement regarding the RIASA European showcase tour, we have some more good news to share with you.

Former ScotlandBradfordEverton and Rangers midfielder Stuart McCall will be joining us on our trip to Finland, providing the students with an opportunity to learn from someone who has lived and breathed the sport. Stuart led a fantastic training session this week to introduce himself to the team – you can check it out below!

The students can expect more of the same intense but rewarding coaching from Stuart whilst we are abroad; the former FA Cup finalist has buckets of experience in the game, with over 700 appearances across his storied career.

Stuart began at Bradford, making over 200 appearances for the Bantams before making the switch to Everton where he scored twice in the FA Cup final against bitter rivals Liverpool.

The longest spell of McCall’s career came at Glasgow Rangers; in fact, the Leeds-born midfielder represented Scotland 40 times during his international career, most notably at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Our students have the opportunity to learn from the very best whilst experiencing college soccer in a brand new environment, further developing their game as they take strides into the world of professional football.

This change comes whilst RIASA Lead Academy Coach Gareth Prendergast continues his recovery following his health issues in the past month. ‘El Jefe’ is making excellent progress in his rehabilitation, and everyone at RIASA wishes him and his family all the best.