Barnsley College student’s pride at representing English Colleges Football Association

Barnsley College student Dempsey Smith has secured a place in the English Colleges Football Association national squad.

The 16-year-old, who studies Sport, will have the opportunity to gain experience of playing at a higher level by representing the College in national recognised competitions.

Dempsey, a right back, is currently on trial at Championship side Barnsley Football Club and will travel to St George’s Park, the English Football Association’s National Football Centre for a training camp. More than 300 players in total were nominated for the national team, which had to be whittled down to a squad of 26 players each for the men’s and women’s squads.

Dempsey, of Worsbrough Common, said: “I’m over the moon to have been selected to represent Barnsley College at national level. The College has really helped me improve my football by concentrating on my weaknesses in the game. My goal is to get paid for something I love doing, which is playing football.”

Luke Forgoione, Performance and Athlete Development Co-Ordinator at the College, added: “Dempsey is an excellent student who works extremely hard at both his studies and football. He has displayed a big desire to achieve academic excellence, coupled with his motivation to play football will make him successful in the future.”