Louka VDB completes signing with AJ Auxerre Youth Academy
Last week, our youth player Louka VDB signed a contract with AJ Auxerre Youth Academy. We wish you all the best to make your dream of becoming a professional football player come true!
When Louka arrived in Shanghai, it was in the middle of the Covid problems with all youth leagues suspended all over Shanghai… However, we still managed for him to play one friendly match with our Lions U18 vs. Japan U18 in summer 2022.
The next season, we “as a club” had unfortunately to stop running our youth team program as many players and families had left China… Thus, we decided to let the best of our youth players to join our senior team instead. It was a good opportunity for them to keep playing, to learn from the seniors but also to improve themselves with faster and more physical opponents.
Louka was one of them. At the beginning, he needed a couple of games to get adjusted as he was bar far the youngest on the pitch with only 14 yo. Soon, it became clear that he got talent… His capability to read the game well at such a young age stood out especially. When he even started to make fouls and on some occasion got yellow cards; it was the moment where he actually became one of our regular starting 11 players in the senior squad.
His passion for the game and his willingness to learn and improve himself was remarkable. Louka had a very good season scoring goals, giving assists and helping out the defense when needed. As a result, he got awarded “Best Youth Player Award” at our end of the season Lions Party.
Unfortunately, we also had to say goodbye to Louka as he went back to France this summer 2023…. But the good news was that he would continue his dream to become a professional football player. In front of his proud parents and his older brother; Louka signed a 3 years contract with AJ Auxerre Youth Academy last week.
We all know that a very difficult road is ahead of him but we (on behalf of all Lions players, family & friends) wish Louka all the success in the world to make his dream come true.
Let’s go Louka! We all believe in you!
Cheers
Freek
