Former ‘Football’s Next Star’ contestant Gavin Colton has reminisced about his time on the show which gave him the chance to try and win a contract at Inter a decade ago.
The Irish defender made it into the final five of the show, which was won by Ben Greenhalgh, who was handed a six month professional contract with Inter.
“It was just after they won the Champions League and we had this chance. At the time, you don’t even know what you’re in. I realise more and more the older I get what a unique experience it was,” he remarked in an interview with the online edition of The Irish Mirror.
“The sort of people I got to meet, heroes really. I remember I had the cleanest room where all of our beds were and the prize for that was dinner with Luis Figo. When on earth would I have ever gotten the chance to have dinner with Luis Figo?”
Colton, who is now 26-years-old and studying for a masters degree in the United States, then spoke on what then Inter manager Jose Mourinho was like.
“He’s everything you’d think he was, although he was actually much nicer in person, I found.”
He then recalled the first team that he and his fellow contestants went to watch the Inter first team train.
“The first time we went to go and watch the first team train, I didn’t know if we’d be coming back so I brought my boots with me. All of the lads were throwing on their best gear and I had a pair of Umbros on me and a full training kit in my bag.
“I met one of the assistants and I don’t know who he was or how good his English was, but I just held up my boots and said, ‘I’m ready to go’.
“I saw him go over to Mourinho and about 10 minutes later I get a whistle, the first thing we’re doing is one-on-ones and I’m against Sammy Eto’o.
“I was gutted, you just get absolutely roasted, but what an experience.”
Upon failing to earn a contract with Inter, he had a spell with UCD Dublin in the top flight in the Republic of Ireland but swapped that for a soccer scholarship in the United States.
