Belief - Jordan Gomez

Tall and skinny.

It seemed like a strong south-westerly wind would blow him over. These were first things that came to mind when I reunited with my friend. A friend whom I spent the majority of my childhood school holidays with, whilst we trained at his uncles’ football academy in Ermington, the fibro homed suburb on the outskirts of Western Sydney. A friend, who over the past ten years has gone through hell and high water to make our boyhood dream a reality. This friend is Jordan Gomez.

For a once young Jordan, it was a short walk, even for his then tiny legs, down to George Kendall Reserve in Ermington, Sydney where he would play football for the very first time. “I was four or five at the time. I remember it so clearly. Dad just loved the game so much, as he still does today! (laughs). He coached the local under 6 side down at Ermington. I would kick the ball whenever I could, whilst constantly asking him to let me play in the team. After a couple of months, he threw me in and I did alright. I wasn’t anything special, but yeah, I could play.” For the next two years, Jordan, who played as a striker would start to make the baby steps as a footballer. He wasn’t an outstanding player who was wanted by top teams immediately. In actual fact it began on a much smaller scale. Another local coach by the name of George Vervitas who was in charge of Parramatta City FC’s park side youth teams, came across Jordan one day in a small sided game and believed he had potential a lot of potential and further suggested that he should come across and play under him where he could attempt to nurture his talent and help him to grow as a young footballer. Over the four years that were to follow, Jordan, under the eye of his coaches worked diligently in both training and by himself. It was with this personally built foundation, that Jordan would gain selection into the Granville District side as a 10-year-old, a side that consisted of the best players from the association’s catchment. This small step in the right direction would see Jordan start to develop himself into more a central midfielder, rather than a striker over the two years he spent at the club. It was at the age of twelve that Jordan wanted to trial for clubs within the NSW National Premier League.

“I went to a bunch of clubs. Every single one of them knocked me back. Rejection is a tough thing to learn about as a twelve-year-old, but my uncle Gerry, who once played for Australia, told me to stick at it and try out for teams in the league below and what a choice it turned out to be. I went down to Blacktown Spartans and was selected after a few trials. To this day they are still two of the best seasons of football I have had to date. I captained the team in the centre of midfield and helped the club get promoted after my first year. After the end of my second season at the club, I knew I was ready to go to the next level. I was fourteen. I wanted to go to Europe. I wanted to play in Spain.” 

With the help of his uncle, Gerry Gomez, Jordan flew over to Barcelona, Spain where he went on trial with cadet side Santboia FC. “It hit me straight away and I’ll never forget it. I think it was the simple fact that football is everything there. Here in Australia, if you don’t like football, you can go and play rugby or AFL etc, but in Spain and ‘Barca’ especially, it’s football or nothing.” It was this football obsessed way of life that changed Jordan after he gained selection into Santboia. He trained harder and truly began to live and breathe the game. Over the year that was to follow, Jordan, aged thirteen at the time, enjoyed a strong season that featured games against FC Barcelona’s youth sides as well as other strong sides in the area. At the end of the season, Jordan had attracted the attention of a few clubs higher up the pecking order in Spain and it was in fact a team known as Alcorcon situated in Madrid who competed in the second division that became very interested in him. “I guess my first season in Spain, showed that I could compete at the level if not higher up. That’s why I went over to Alcorcon for a trial. They were playing in the Spanish second division and were a much more professional club. They asked me to sign after a few sessions and I was delighted to put pen to paper. Unfortunately for me however, things changed very quickly.”

It was just after Jordan had signed with Alcorcon, when he received a letter from FIFA notifying him that players under the age of eighteen were unable to sign with clubs outside of their country, however special consideration would be given to players who were living with their family in the country they wished to sign in. Unfortunately for Jordan, his British passport couldn’t help, so it was decided that he would have to move back to Sydney until he was of age. “Yeah I was devastated at the time. Just when I felt I was starting to make a way, I was cut down and forced to deal with the upset and anger. I spoke to mum and dad, who decided to bring me back home. Looking back now it was a blessing in disguise.” Upon arrival back in Australia, Jordan’s uncle Gerry, got in contact with ex Socceroo Craig Foster, who at the time was head coach at the New South Wales Institute of Sport. Craig invited Jordan down to have a run with the team which led to Craig signing Jordan up for the season. “I was fifteen at the time when I signed with Craig’s team. I was still upset about how Spain ended but Craig snapped me out of it and changed me as a footballer. I think as footballers develop, they want to get the most out of their coaches and without a shadow of doubt, Craig and his knowledge of the game helped me grow. There are things that he taught me that still stay with me today. He is one of the best coaches I’ve had and I owe a lot to him.”

After a strong season with ‘The Institute’ playing in the u18’s competition, Jordan received a call from Sydney FC legend Steve Corica, who at the time was in charge of the highly successful youth team at the club. He was starting up a shadow squad for the youth and wanted Jordan to be one of the first members. “I remember when Steve called me and my mum was jumping for joy, literally! On a personal front, I was and still am a Sydney FC fan and to have one of your boyhood heroes call you and ask for you to be a part of his team was something really special. I wasn’t an official youth player but for a sixteen-year-old to be in and around the professional set up at Sydney, helped me to develop that side of my game.” Whilst at Sydney, Jordan didn’t hold back and worked extremely hard on his game. So much so that when the youth team travelled to Vietnam to play in an international tournament, Jordan was one of the first picked. As the old saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding.” Whilst in Vietnam, Jordan learnt all about how to carry himself in a professional competition set up and enjoyed a great amount of game time experience in the process. “It was a great year. I still had my eye on Europe, but that season with Sydney can be seen as invaluable looking back. I learnt a lot.” From here, Jordan signed on at Sydney United and celebrated his seventeenth birthday. 

“I was six or seven games into the season with United when my uncle Gerry gave me a call. I really wanted to be in Europe again and he told me that he had received a call from AFC Bournemouth (Barclays Premier League club) in England who were inquiring about me. I put two and two together and realised that with my English passport, the FIFA rule would be out the window (laughs). They told Gerry that they heard of my situation and that they were setting up a program where they would bring players in from overseas, give them a lengthy trial period, if they were good enough, they would sign them up to professional contracts and they wanted me to come over. I remember being close to tears. I didn’t question whether I was good enough or not. I knew in myself that I was.” So for Jordan things started to look up as he prepared himself for his move back overseas. He had a few games to play prior to leaving which included a game within the NSW All Schools competition. “I was two weeks out from leaving. I was playing in a game when I went up for a header and came down like normal. I felt this pop in the outside of my right foot but didn’t really think much of it. As the game progressed, I could barely walk. I went straight to the hospital where I discovered I had broken my fifth metatarsal.” Once again, a devastated Jordan was forced to wait another six weeks before he headed over to England, as the Bournemouth club were kind enough to let him stay and recover.

 “I was relieved to finally get over to England and felt like this was going to be a great period for my football.” Jordan applied his hard work to football day in day out and only after a few weeks was told by the club that they wanted to see him in a game prior to signing him up. “I was really excited. I knew that I was one solid game away from finally signing my first proper contract with a professional club. Again, it wasn’t meant to be. The last session before the game I re-broke the same bone in my foot and was back to square one.” Again, Jordan had to spend a prolonged period of time on the sidelines and fell into a rut that included home sickness. After twelve weeks out, Jordan found he wasn’t really suited to English football and questioned whether or not football was really for him. “I wanted out. I called mum and dad several times telling them I wanted to come home to be with my family and friends. They pushed me to stay and to continue fighting because they knew deep down that this was my dream. I got in contact with a few friends from my time in Spain which led to Getafe CF offering me a trial. They were (at the time) a club who competed in the Spanish first division and they seemed really keen to have a look at me.”

So after his stint with Bournemouth, Jordan flew down to Getafe on the outskirts of Madrid where it took the club a matter of three weeks to see Jordan’s talent, where they offered Jordan a one-year deal due to him finally being of age to sign with a club in Spain. After years of upset and disappointment, Jordan finally made a breakthrough. Jordan was to spend a full season with Getafe, playing with their youth set up. It went from strength to strength as the season progressed with his coaches having him play as a Centre Defensive Midfielder. His team finished the season in a very respectable third place, behind Madrid giants Real and Atletico. Unfortunately for the club as a whole that year, they were to be relegated due to the first team failing to stay up in the Liga BBVA. Jordan realised he had a decision to make as he knew he was good enough to be playing the top divisions.

“Getafe re-instilled a lot of confidence into my football which is crucial. They understood that I wanted to play in top division, so when C.D Nacional, who play in the Portuguese top division, known for developing the career of Cristiano Ronaldo, offered me a contract I knew I had to go. I have signed with their u’19s side and with the next team above us being the first team, I’m confident that if I can work hard and stay focused, I’ll give myself every chance of picking up some professional game time.”

Personally, these are the stories that I enjoy writing the most. I guess it is even more special knowing that I used to play and train with Jordan. I couldn’t tell you how many hours we spent as youngsters down at George Kendall Reserve in Ermington training together. His uncle Gerry used to put the two of us through our paces and the competitive edge Jordan displayed back then is still evident today. It is proof that all the years of blood, sweat and tears has its rewards. After catching up with Jordan the other week, on the grounds where we came to be mates, Jordan knows he wouldn’t be where he is without his close family and friends. “They ground me. I’m not where I want to be just yet but ever since I was a little boy they taught me all about hard work and respect and where that can take you in life and it is those lessons that are starting to bear fruit for me. Along with this I think it has been my willingness to make the necessary sacrifices such as family, friends and a social life that has allowed me to separate myself from the rest” It is sacrifices like the ones Jordan has made that has recently also led to the Costa Rican u20’s head coach notifying Jordan that he is extremely interested in having him apart of his squad for the upcoming FIFA u20 World Cup qualifiers within the CONCACAF set up.

This humble kid from Sydney’s west just started with a dream. Since he first wrapped his boot around a ball, he has worked day and night with his dream lighting the way. He knows where he is going and it is the strong foundations that he has laid, that will take him onwards and upwards.

This is Jordan Gomez.

I’ll leave a few dots because his story is far from over

…

Peace.