Exciting Hoilett Earmarked For Bright Future

Junior Hoilett is one of Blackburn Rovers stars of the future, since turning down Manchester United at the age of 12 was just the beginning of his rollercoaster. Since turning down a chance to play football at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ the Blackburn Rovers starlet has had to overcome a work permit nightmare, serious homesickness and playing football in five different countries to reach the big stage of the Premier League.

The 19-year-old Canadian who recently signed a deal to stay at Ewood Park till 2010 has earned the chance to establish himself as a regular in the world’s biggest league, but there were times when even he doubted it would ever happen. Like when the government refused him a visa to play in England aged 16, having spent the last three years of his life learning his trade in Rovers’ youth set-up, or when he missed his family so much it would have been easy to have turned his back on his dreams and return to Canada.

Hoilett can look forward to a more settled future but he won’t forget the long and, often frustrating, journey he has taken to get where he has. He said: “I have had to go over a few hurdles but they have all helped me. They have all made me stronger and I feel I am ready for anything. “They have made me stronger as a player and a person. This is just the start but it feels as though I have been through a lot to get here. There were times when I had little doubts and I guess it would have been easy to have taken the easy option and gone home. I have always wanted to be a professional footballer though and that helped me through some difficult times.”

It was a tournament in Wales that was to prove the turning point in his life though as an 11-year-old Hoilett travelled with a Canadian team to play against teams from around the world. He was competing for fun but, by the end of the 10 days, scouts had spotted his obvious potential and his Premier League adventure was just around the corner.

“I didn’t know a tournament that lasted 10 days was going to change my life,” he said. But a Blackburn scout came up to my father, a number of scouts came up to my father actually. They all asked me to come on trial. Manchester United was the first club I came to on trial to but I decided to come to Blackburn and I liked Blackburn so I came here. Manchester United were quite keen on me at the time and asked me back but I had decided to come to Blackburn. The tournament was in July and I came over in March to Blackburn. Then I went back in the summer. They wanted me to move over but I needed a year to think about it.”

Blackburn Rovers and a new life in East Lancashire it was then, albeit not before a year of soul searching for him and his family about him leaving home in pursuit of a professional football career. Mother Ingrid took three months off work to help Junior settle in but, while Hoilett senior also regularly flew back and forth to support his middle son, life was far from plain sailing in those early days. He said: “The first year was very difficult but I got used to it. Everyone supported me and it showed with my football.”

But since then Hoilett has made a big impact in Blackburn Rovers’ Premier League Season making 10 appearances for the team Holiett has made improvements to the team in vital moments but will he continue to do so well next season? Only time will tell.

Article By Charlotte