Shellito flies in to help

Ken Shellito, in town to help the Crown Academy boys and coaches

Ken Shellito has given more than fifty years of his life to the game of football that he loves so much, and he shows no sign of slowing down. This week Shellito, in his role as the Phnom Penh Crown Elite Football Academy Ambassador, will spend time with the Academy boys at their Tuol Kork headquarters passing on invaluable tips he's learned over the years and put into practice on training fields as far apart as England, America and throughout Asia. He'll also spend sessions with the Academy coaches, Bouy Dary and Kao Kiry, to give them the benefit of his vast experience. Now working as a coach and technical analyst for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur, Shellito assisted the Phnom Penh Crown coaches in the final selection of their 22 Academy recruits in November so is already a familiar face to the boys. The Elite Football Academy, the first of its kind in Cambodia, has now been in operation for over a month and provides the youngsters with football training six days per week with qualified coaches, whilst maintaining a strong emphasis on the importance of their academic studies. Shellito spent his entire playing career with one club, Chelsea, who he joined as a fourteen year old and made his debut at the age of 19. He went onto play 285 games for the club before a serious knee injury cut short his playing career at the age of 27. He also made 4 appearances for England. After looking after the Chelsea youth academy, he was appointed Chelsea manager in 1977 and remained in charge for more than a year. He later managed Cambridge United and assisted Tommy Docherty at QPR and Crystal Palace, before moving to the USA, Singapore and finally Malaysia as a football coach.

Ken Shellito and Academy head coach Bouy Dary instruct the youngsters at Tuol Kork

Ball control is a skill these youngsters will need to get into their repertoire