Blind footballer Azeem Amir delivers training session at Rochdale Football Club

Azeem Amir delivers training session at Rochdale Football Club

Azeem Amir, a talented blind footballer, led a training session at Rochdale Football Club this week.

The 17-year-old local lad, who is currently studying law, psychology and economics at Rochdale Sixth Form College, plays for Manchester Blind FC and Merseyside Blind FC, and has aspirations to play for the national side in the future.

On Monday, Azeem spent the morning with Dale’s youth team squad and a few first team players, and took full control as he put the group, who were wearing blindfolds, through an hour long training session.

Rick Ashcroft, Dale’s Head of Academy Coaching, said: “Azeem is an inspirational young man. He was very confident and very comfortable in delivering the session to the boys.

“He is only 17 so he is in the same age band as the lads, so it was great to have Azeem in. He has come into training and shown what a capable and positive young man he is. He doesn’t let his visual impairment get in his way.

“The boys really enjoyed it. It was pleasure to have Azeem involved.”

Azeem added: “That was the first time I’ve delivered a proper session. I wrote down some notes and took it from there. I had a rough idea of what I was going to do, and I thought it all flowed really well.

“Everyone joined in and everyone seemed to have fun.

"Putting blindfolds on is scary because you’re taking a massive sense away, but they took to it really well. Everyone stayed focused throughout and they focused when I was showing them the drills, which was really nice, but the most important thing was that they had fun.”