PORT Stephens soccer whiz kids Hudson Turner and Zac Wood are bound for Spain.
The outstanding prospects have been invited by the Barcelona Football Academy to attend an intensive 10-day international Junior Camp at the headquarters of one of the game’s global giants.
Both Hudson and Zac flew out this week to Europe’s Catalonia region where they’ll be tutored on the Barca Academy’s unique football school model, which is a proactive, collective and creative style of play with the core values of respect, humility, effort, ambition and teamwork.
Hudson, a skilful right winger and striker from the Medowie Football Club junior nursery, turned 14 on Wednesday and described the opportunity as a “dream come true.”
“To receive an invitation to the famous Barca Academy is a huge thrill and one I’ll take with both hands,” the Year 8 Catherine McAuley College Medowie student told News Of The Area on the eve of his departure.
“You don’t get the chance to train at a world class set up like Barca every day where the greatest ever footballer Lionel Messi took his first steps to international stardom.
“I intend to lap up the experience and learn from some of the best football minds in the game.”
Highlights for the young pair during their Spanish sojourn is a tour of Camp Nou, the home of La Liga champions FC Barcelona – winners of a record 80 trophies – and attending the club’s big clash with Atletico Madrid on 2 December.
Fourteen-year-old Wood of Anna Bay is a promising right winger from Nelson Bay FC.
He was a key member of the club’s Grand Final winning Under 14s line up in this year’s Newcastle Football Interdistrict competition.
Zac said he is “over the moon” with his invitation to the Academy junior camp.
Both Turner and Wood were identified as “special talents” by Barca Academy officials during a seven day camp earlier this year for elite junior footballers at the University of Newcastle grounds.
The Easter camp featured some of the best young talent in the 5-6yrs, 7-8yrs, 9-10yrs, 11-12yrs and 13yrs and over age divisions.
Hudson was one of five recipients of a Heart Award, presented to the player in each age category who best exemplifies the Barca ethos of humility, effort, team work, ambition and respect.
The award was one of many season highlights for the talented Turner, who helped Medowie FC finish the Newcastle Football Interdistrict Under 14s competition as undefeated minor premiers and clinch the Northern NSW Football Champion of Champions title at Coffs Harbour.
Hudson lined up against Zac’s Nelson Bay team in an epic final with the Medowie Colts winning a penalty shoot-out to be crowned tournament champions.
In doing so, the young Bumblebees created history by becoming the first Medowie FC side to achieve the feat.
Hudson started his soccer career at the age of four with Tea Gardens Sharks and showed early promise as a prolific-scoring marksman – menacing defences up front to finish leading goal scorer.
The outstanding prospect joined the Medowie club in Under 8s and has proved a skilful competitor in his six years with the Bumblebees and a central figure in the team’s incredible success these past two seasons.
Last year, he revelled as the all-conquering Medowie youngsters claimed the Interdistrict Under 13s minor premiership and championship trophies undefeated.
Zac, a Year 8 student at St Phillip’s Christian School at Salamander Bay, laced up his first football boots as a five-year-old with Ashfield Pirates in the Sydney inner-western suburbs before moving to the Nelson Bay club in Under 9s.
He also starred for the Newcastle Under 14 representative squad that won this year’s Northern NSW Community State Youth Championship at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
On their return both Hudson and Zac will train and play as part of an elite community Newcastle junior squad against Youth Premier League teams throughout the off-season in preparation for 2026.
By Chris KARAS
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