Overseas trip just the start for Billy

A young soccer player is looking forward to a bright future on the pitch after representing his home State in Singapore.

Billy Broadbent, 16, competed in the 2019 Singa Cup alongside fellow WA players representing Football West after being scouted at Country Week and attending a training camp.

During the youth tournament, last month, Broadbent and his Football West teammates made it to the under-16s grand final after finishing first in Group A.

Despite a 3-0 loss to Malaysian team Johor Darul Ta’zim, Broadbent said he walked away from the Singa Cup with his head held high.

“I was just ecstatic that I got the call-up to represent WA in Singapore,” he said.

“The whole experience was really new to all of us. We played on artificial turf rather than just normal grass and it was all very modern and so populated.

“While it was unfortunate that we lost to JDT, we couldn’t be happier because we made it so far and it was awesome to go up against such an elite team to cap off the whole experience.”

Broadbent was also excited to keep pursuing a future in soccer after accepting a scholarship to go to the United States after completing high school.

“Being able to go to the United States to go to college and play soccer would be really exciting for me and family,” he said.

“Opportunities like this don’t come every day.”

Broadbent said the success and special opportunities that have come his way would not have been possible without a special group of people.

“I am really grateful for all of the coaches that have worked with me including my Singapore coaches Peter Bliss, Peter McClurg and Tanya Kruck, my personal coach Markus Beuke and my strength and conditioning coaches Strettan Dearle, Sam Newton, Mel O’Neill-King and Trenna Wadge,” he said.