Affiliate Club Starlet Gets International Recognition

Everton's International Academy affiliate club Columbus United is celebrating after one of its players was selected to participate in a training camp for the USA girls' Under-14 national team.

Cali Hejduk (pictured, bottom row, fourth from the right) this week became the first Columbus youth player to be recognised at national team level when she met up with her age group squad in California.

Since joining Columbus last year, forward Cali has benefitted from working with coaches, who, as part of the affiliation with Everton, use training programmes from the curriculum delivered at the Blues' Category One Finch Farm Academy.

In that time, the Ohio-based club's 2010 (Under-14) girls' team has gone on an incredible run that has seen them win three State Championships, a regional championship, a national championship, and a national league title.

The team’s success saw several Columbus players invited to try-out at local talent ID centres, with Cali – whose father Frankie Hejduk won 85 caps for the USA - earning the right to join this week's national team meet-up.

Simon Davis, Executive Director and Director of Coaching at Columbus United (top row, fourth from the left), said: "Cali was a really good player when she came to us but playing around so many other good players who are on the same wavelength as her has really pushed her game onto a whole new level.

"We’ve been over to Everton this year with a team that included Cali and she definitely benefitted from the coaching she received and scored a great header in a match versus the [Everton] Academy team at Finch Farm.

"We have other players with potential to play at a national level one day and hopefully Cali’s recognition will put the Columbus United name out there and open the door for others to follow in her footsteps. We are very proud of Cali and look forward to supporting her development in the years to come."

Columbus United extended its affiliation with Everton in February this year, having initially signed up to the International Academy programme in 2020.

The initiative gives Columbus, which has close to 400 youngsters playing across 30 teams, access to technical support, mentoring and in-person visits from Everton coaches, as well as opportunities for coaches and players to visit Finch Farm to sample life at an elite Premier League Academy.

Paddy Byrne, Everton's International Technical Manager (top row, centre), said: "We've had a fantastic relationship with Columbus United going back over four years and it's been great to support Simon and the other coaches there who have really led the club’s growth over that time.

"The 2010 girls and all their recent successes have been a shining example of what they are doing. Having a player called up for a US national training centre for the first time is a fantastic achievement for Cali, but also a reflection and reward for the excellent work being done by everyone at CUSC."

Davis added: “I always look at Everton as something of a big brother - someone to go to discuss ideas, options and future plans. They have been a big part of shaping our training programmes and that's helped us really grow over the last few years.

“We were delighted to extend our affiliation and we're excited to build on the great partnership that we've got. We've just been accepted into the girls' Academy National League, which is very prestigious to be a part of and another step forward, and we're excited for our teams to start playing in that later this year."