Alfie Ryan heads to Singapore with Premier League

Arsenal in the Community’s Youth Engagement Officer, Alfie Ryan, will travel to Singapore this month to support the delivery of the Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach activation, helping to grow the game and develop aspiring coaches.

Alfie first joined Arsenal in the Community in 2015 as a participant on our NCFE programme. Since then, he has progressed from participant to supervisor at the Arsenal Hub, before taking on his current role as Youth Engagement Officer.

Departing on 15 May for a 10-day trip, Alfie will work alongside the Premier League team to create a friendly, inclusive and enjoyable learning environment for participants. The programme will also give him the opportunity to apply his coaching skills in a new environment, supporting the continued global growth of the game. During the visit, Alfie will deliver a presentation sharing his personal journey into football and community work.

Speaking about the opportunity, Alfie said:

“Growing up in Islington as a lifelong Arsenal supporter, the opportunity to now work for the club in the same community that raised me is something I never imagined as a kid.

“What drives me most is being able to give young people the support, guidance and belief they may need, even when they don’t always know how to ask for it themselves.

“Taking that work onto an international stage is a reminder that real impact is often made quietly, through patience, consistency and the way we carry ourselves every day. To represent both the club and the area that shaped me while sharing that message with the world is something I’ll never take for granted.”

Last year, our Women & Girls Coordinator, Billie Graham, took part in a similar Premier League experience, travelling to Gansbaai, South Africa, to deliver the Premier Skills Programme.