Leeds United F.C welcomed to the Gold Coast

WORDS: Wayne Hickson PHOTOGRAPHY Brian Usher - www.usherusher.com

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate had the ultimate beach football experience yesterday afternoon when he visited Kurrawa Beach with players from the Leeds United F.C.

 

A beach visit was his way of welcoming the English Premier League superstars to their Gold Coast training camp ahead of this week’s 2022 Queensland Champions Cup friendly matches against EPL stablemates Aston Villa F.C and Queensland’s own Brisbane Roar F.C.

And it gave him the opportunity to hand deliver a special keepsake to coach Jesse Marsch to commemorate the team’s visit to the city – a commemorative surfboard.

“This is every soccer fan’s dream as we welcome two powerhouse English Premier League clubs to Queensland,’’ the mayor said.

“I’m delighted to see that away from the competition, the clubs will run training camps here on the coast.

“This will give our local talent the chance to experience the skills training and preparation that goes into creating world-class EPL teams.

“Globally, the Gold Coast will enjoy incredible publicity through the club’s large supporter bases as well as coverage from the various games.

“It’s time to kick off our reputation as a major sports destination,” he said.

Leeds centre-back Liam Cooper said the jet lag has gone and the team is ready for Thursday night’s tournament opening clash against the Brisbane Roar at Cbus Super Stadium.

“We can’t wait to get going now,” he said.

“It’s pre-season for us so we’ll be taking the game seriously.

“It’s brilliant to be here on the Gold Coast with some new signings in the squad because it gives us the chance to build some new relationships.

“Being here gives us the chance to work out what we want to be as a team and this experience gives us plenty of time to do that,” he said.

The Queensland Champions Cup kicks off THIS Thursday 14 July with Leeds United F.C meeting Brisbane Roar F.C at the Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium before Aston Villa and Leeds meet at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday 17 July and Brisbane Roar take on Aston Villa in the final friendly in Townsville on Wednesday 20 July.

Tickets are still available for Thursday and Sunday’s matches but fans are encouraged to get in quickly.

Queensland Champions Cup tickets | Tours and Events | Ticketek Australia

Delivered to Queensland by the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland in conjunction with TEG Live and 2022 Queensland Champions Cup partners, Suncorp Stadium managed by ASM Global, Stadiums Queensland, City of Townsville and City of Gold Coast, football fans from across Australia and abroad will be able to watch their heroes in person.