MK College footballer makes England debut 

Seventeen year old Milton Keynes College student, Juud Farrant, has just returned home after being picked for the English Colleges FA team, the football wing of Association of Colleges (AOC) Sport, to play in an international tournament in Italy. 

Right winger Juud scored one goal against Greece, slaloming through the opposition defence and dinking the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.  He also had one assist in the event, with England topping their group but eventually losing to Wales on penalties in the final. 

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Juud says, “and while it was gutting to lose in the final it was fantastic to be a part of it.” 

Juud travels from his home in Tring every day for his Football Studies course at Milton Keynes College, something staff say shows the level of commitment he has to the game and his future. 

Course Team Leader at the Football Academy, Iain Ellis, says, “Juud’s come on so much since he joined us when he was sixteen.  Representing your country at any level is a remarkable achievement so we’re really proud of him.  He always had the ability but it’s been wonderful to watch him grow in confidence with us.  Even getting selected from the hundreds of triallists is a triumph in itself.  We’re all really proud of him.” 

Juud is now looking at staying on at college for another year to further develop his skills and knowledge.  “Everything here is really professionally done.  The facilities are great – we train on a really good astroturf pitch – and the gym work and the lessons are really helpful.  The staff are really knowledgeable and supportive and they’ve helped me a lot, especially with the mental approach to my game.  When I first came here, I sometimes didn’t have that control of myself that you really need to play at the highest level, and they’ve really helped with that.” 

English Colleges FA manager, Darin Killpartrick, is based at Chichester College as Director of Football. says, “Juud has been an integral part of the team showing an outstanding attitude both on and off the pitch. He is an exciting player that has settled well into the squad, showcasing his talent at any given opportunity. Not only does he possess the ability to enjoy beating a player on the inside and outside but also has a keen eye to chip in with a goal or two. I am looking forward to watching him lock horns with the opposition at an international standard and challenging himself at every opportunity.   

Juud’s already had trials with Queen’s Park Rangers and was given very encouraging feedback.  He hopes to have the chance to try out for more clubs soon.  He’s the third footballer to make the English Colleges team in Milton Keynes College’s history, and the experience of his predecessors shows it can be a route to the professional game.  Tom Bradbury is a graduate of the course and now plays for Cheltenham Town in League One, while Elliott Simmons is a regular for Vancouver FC in the Canadian Premier League. 

If you’re a budding footballer and you’d like to know more about Football Studies at Milton Keynes College, please visit https://mkcollege.ac.uk/sports/