Winner of SFAAFS Talks Exclusively to The Asian Today
Talented Asian footballer Raj Vijayarajah recently won the nationwide Search For An Asian Football Star competition. Central midfielder Raj, 16, from Ilford, Essex, beat more than 500 young players to lift the SFAAFS Winner’s Cup – and a series of great prizes that could change his career in football.
Talking to The Asian Today, he explained how he felt after winning the converted title. “Winning this competition made me realise just how much I want to become a professional footballer in the future. It was a shock to me when they announced my name; I did not believe it at first. A few minutes later, I realised that I had just beat over 500 people to win.
Born in Paris, France and moved to London at the age of six, he already knew what his goal was in life. “Growing up I always watched my all time favourite player Zinedine Zidane and he inspired me to play football. He was from an under privileged family and started at the bottom and later became the world’s best player. The reason I play football is that I enjoy it. My cousin, Vethan, told me that I should pursue my football dreams, when I thought it was not possible. My parents have always supported me in whatever I do, and I am very grateful to them. My plans are to train and hopefully be scouted or signed at one of the prizes offered to me by Trade next search for an Asian football star. They are: on March 22nd I have a trial at Dagenham and Redbridge FC in front of Premier League and Football League scouts and later in April I have a trial camp at football CV academy with a day training at St George’s Park included.”
When asked which is favourite club was, he replied with Paris Saint-Germain.
