Olympique’s season kicks off this weekend on the 1st October at Victoria Stadium with an exciting start against College 1975 FC.
Lewis Fraser has transformed the club remarkably both on and off the pitch this summer, with club owner Sunday Adeleye helping Lewis capture the likes of the impressive Robert Montovio and Jordan Perez who have both played for Gibraltar alongside a number of other profound players.
The FCO13 Media team had a quick chat with club captain Jordan Perez ahead of his debut for the club:
What was it that motivated you to come out of retirement and join FC Olympique 13?
“The main reason I stopped playing back in January was simply because I wasn’t enjoying the game anymore and had nothing else really to aspire to. Training 3-4 times a week in Spain til’ late hours at night was too much commitment. When Lewis approached me we had several chats and the desire to come back and play started to kick in. What I was being offered in terms of commitment was ideal for me and at the same time the setup is as professional as it can get here in Gibraltar so it was an easy decision. The only thing I have left on my CV to tick of is helping a team get promoted so this was another determining factor for me.”
How has pre-season been for yourself with Lewis in control?
“Pre season has been good, it is very difficult to work with a completely new team where players are getting to know each other on and off the pitch but the gaffer and the coaching staff have managed to gel in the players and I believe the team is ready to compete.”
Do you feel a big responsibility on your shoulders being named the club captain?
“Being named captain in any team is always an honour and a responsibility which I take in with open arms. Nowadays being a captain is not only about choosing which side of the coin is going to land face up, theres is much more to it. I have had experience in this post before and I will try my upmost always to lead by example.”
And lastly, what’s the goals and expectations for the season ahead?
“Our expectation should be to achieve promotion our ultimate goal is to get automatically promoted. My personal goal is to concede less than 13 goals this season and help my team get promoted.”
FC Olympique 13 take on College 1975 this Saturday at Victoria Stadium with kick off at 4.30pm. Entry is free.
(Photograph by Mark Origo)