Steve Pugh,
a 21 year old graduate from Liverpool, became a volunteer on a football school
in Quito, where he trained children from the age of 4 to 16 the art of
football. Tom Nicolson talks to the 'red' from England.

Steve Pugh,
a chunky built graduate from Liverpool, England, turns up to the interview in
his Liverpool shirt. Clearly a die hard red and immediately springs into life
on his passion for football and his sides chances in the forthcoming Champions
League final in Athens.

The 21
year-old has taken his passion and put it into the grassroots of Ecuadorian
football, where he takes his own class of youngsters to teach them the basics.

The school
where he volunteers is one of the best in the country, lacking only behind the
professional teams of Ecuador. Professional coaches, an ex-pro and even a
psychologist are all hired to run the school of 60 for children between the
ages of 4 and 14.

'The
psychologist talks to the children about the mental aspect of the game', says
Pugh. 'One time, he talked about having a blank mind when taking a penalty,
which was very professional I thought.'

Pugh, who
was given the choice to run his own team, had a group of children to teach. 'They thought I was a professional scout from England at first, who had come to
evaluate their performances, but soon after they realised that I was just there
to help. They became relaxed with me and started swinging on my arms and
jumping on my back. I think it's good to have this kind of relationship.'

One of the
things the Liverpool man was conscious about was to include all the children in
all the exercises. 'Sometimes they lose concentration which is when I feel I
have to change it. I allow them to pick up the ball or have three in a goal and
that way it gets them motivated again.'

Pugh is
always an active person with the children and has always been keen for the
children to learn, even picking a child up and carrying them to the right
position. 'The Ecuadorian kids here always give 100% unlike in England where
they will give 'backchat' to their coaches,' remarks Pugh. 'Here, the players
arrive and will shake every hand before they start play.'

'It has
been a fantastic experience,' says Pugh proudly. 'When I first arrived here I
couldn't speak Spanish, but I am now accepted as an equal to the coaches which
is tremendously rewarding.'

Pugh's role
evolved in his final weeks as coach to become a mentor and friend and not just
a coach. 'A lot of the children come to talk to me now about things in their
lives and I'm really happy to listen,' he says modestly.

At $1400, however, Pugh was a little displeased at
the price that he paid when he touched down in Ecuador. 'The experience was one
I'll never forget, but I was a little disappointed to come out here to find
that I could do a similar kind of thing for less than half the price', comments
Pugh.