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Kalen Brunson joins QPR academy

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Kalen Brunson pictured while on trial with Sky Bet Championship side Queens Park Rangers (Photograph supplied)

Kalen Brunson is the latest Bermudian to join forces with Queens Park Rangers.

The PHC winger was signed by the Sky Bet Championship outfit last month after impressing the coaching staff during a trial and is making steady progress playing with their under-21 team.

Brunson, 15, joins QPR from the Beechwood Schools Elite Football Programme, run by Academia & Football, where his potential shone through.

Former Arsenal and QPR defender Matthew Rose, who is cofounder and director of coaching and recruitment at Academia & Football, is delighted to see the player making good progress towards his ambition of playing professional football.

“Kalen is doing very well and progressing through the ranks to under-21 football. It was very clear he had ability,” Rose told The Royal Gazette.

“It was just a case of giving him a platform to show this and helping him improve elements of his game to be able to take that next step.”

Dashun Cooper is a goalkeeper coach with QPR’s academy (File photograph)

Brunson is following in the footsteps of Dashun Cooper, who is a goalkeeper coach with QPR’s academy, and Bristol City striker Nahki Wells, who had two loan spells with the West London club.

He is also one of two Bermudians to have recently joined professional clubs from the Beechwood Schools Elite Football Programme as Nayan Grant was signed by League Two side Gillingham this month.

Rose, who also earned two caps with England Under-21, is equally as pleased to see defender Grant making good progress at Gillingham’s academy.

“Nayan has a lot of potential and has worked so hard with the staff to improve his overall game and is now seeing the rewards with professional clubs interested in him,” he said.

Nayan Grant was signed by League Two side Gillingham this month (File photograph)

Academia & Football, who also run elite football programmes at Trinity School and Lucton School, offers students a tailored approach to individual development, combining world-class football training with strong academic support.

Designed to help students reach their potential in both sport and education, the programme creates pathways to success for the next generation of young athletes, from which Brunson and Grant have benefited.

Matthew Rose is cofounder and director of coaching and recruitment at Academia & Football (Photograph supplied)

“We take players and look to maximise their potential using our staff expertise and knowledge,” Rose said.

“With these two it has been into professional clubs; for others, like the senior girls, it will be US scholarships.

“Having played under Arsène [Wenger] and observing him as a coach and heading up their European academy, I have put in place a whole development philosophy.

“We are very big on working on the details and paying attention to the basics as these are the fundamentals of building a player.”

Joe Sutton, the head of future pathways at Academia & Football, will be on island next month to scout for talent during the 2025 Fifa Under-17 World Cup Qualifiers.

During his visit, the former academy scout and coach at Manchester United and Arsenal is also hoping to learn about the football community and player development across the island.

Sutton also aims to support academy players on Bermuda’s roster, identify talent across the Concacaf region, showcase football development pathways in Britain and forge long-term relationships with key stakeholders.

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Published January 31, 2025 at 8:08 am (Updated January 31, 2025 at 8:08 am)

Kalen Brunson joins QPR academy

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