Remember the name Camden Schaper. The 13-year-old former SuperSport United wonderkid is reportedly on the radar of some of England’s biggest football clubs, who are desperate to sign him.
According to FARPost, the Benoni native – who recently relocated to England with his family and currently plays for Blackburn Rovers – was close to joinining Manchester United in 2020, but the deal couldn’t be completed due to the challenging nature of signing foreign prospects, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.
And now, it looks like Manchester City have stolen a march and are the favourites to sign the teenager. His younger brother, Astin, is already part of the reigning Premier League champions’ academy.
“He has made a huge impression in England in just over a year, attracting interest from major clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool,” Digital scout Prince Sobayeni was quoted by the online publications.
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“This attention stems from his exceptional abilities and impressive performances on the field, where he has scored over 40 goals this season alone. His development at the age of 13 is remarkable, and brands like Adidas began sponsoring him when he was just 12 years old — an opportunity quite rare in football.”
The young Camden first came to South Africa’s attention when he captained the SuperSport United Under-11 team on a successful tour of Spain in 2021. Following the tour, Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon kept tabs on the youngster.
“When he is not training with his teammates…, you will find him at home doing drills to improve his skills. Camden’s technical ability surpasses that of most 10-year-olds. His hard work is the reason he is attracting attention from abroad,” his father Jody was quoted by The Citizen back in 2022.
Should he complete a deal to join one of England's bigger clubs, Camden would become one of a handful of South African young players harbouring hopes of playing in the Premier League.
Currently, goalkeepers Thorsten “Spike” Brits, Samual Archer, and Elyh Harrison are attached to Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United respectively. Harrison is highly regarded by Ruben Amorim at United, and has featured on the bench for the first team a number of times already this season.
IOL Sport