'Not all Polynesians can do what I can': 11-yer-old Samoan footballer signs with Paris FC

Aquila Peleseuma is a eleven-year-old young footballer of Samoan heritage who has the world at his feet so to speak.

The youngest of three siblings has been offered a pathway to professional football, something not too many Samoan kids or Pasifika youths have achieved.

Especially out in France, where almost all Pasifika families are involved in rugby union at one level or another.

The Wellington-born has been signed by renowned French football club, Paris FC, whose premier team plays in the top French Football competition.

It is something both his parents, dad Opetera and mum Stacee, are proud of and grateful for.

Proud, because their son has decided on a sports pathway none of them ever thought would be taken up by their children, especially because of their other sporting backgrounds.

Opetera is a rugby player. He made his mark in New Zealand early and made the national under-20s side before stints with the Wellington Lions and the Hurricanes.

He played for the Hutt Marist Old Boys club in the local Wellington Rugby Union competition.

Basketball and athletics were also his other sports favourites, while mum Stacee also had stints in athletics and basketball.

Football was never really on their mind as a sport that any of their children would take up.

Well, Azariah, 15 and Aila Rose, 12, did not but Aquila picked it up, while playing with kids around their Paris neighbourhood.

A friend's dad saw his talents, approached the parents and got him signed up with Paris FC.

Now, he has the future in front of him, with contracts ready to be signed by 2029, which will see him go through the club's Football Academy and push him into the professional football pathway.

Paris FC will take him on board from next year, put him through the college system for pre-formation and then push him into their Academy.

Opetera said Paris FC will officially contract him from 2029 "but they have signed him, so that no other club is able to take him from now until he goes to Academy".

As part of that signing agreement the club will foot his education costs and supply all that he needs to develop both academically and in the sport he now loves to play.

'It means something great'

Aquila said he is excited and happy about the opportunity now been offered to him.

Having seen the struggle, the family had to go through, the young man says the Paris FC offer is his for the taking.

"I feel happy about it and it means something great to me, because not all Polynesians can do what I can do at my age," he said when asked how he feels about his opportunity.

"I am also proud because I don't know any other Samoan or Pasifika kid who's playing soccer and in the same position."

Aquila is a winger and said any kid can achieve what he has been able to at a young age if they listen to their parents and take heed of advice given to them.

"I started with my friends and I started to like it, and so then my best friend's dad put me up in a club, and then that's when I started training to just achieve what I got now.

"Listen to your parents, work hard, stay humble, and listen to advice that people give you," he added.

French move

With rugby calling, Opetera moved to France in 2017 before the family joined him there.

The three children grew up learning French, on top of English and made new friends along the way.

Because their dad was moving between clubs as demand warranted, the children had to be ready also to make the move when required.

It was in Rouen, about 135 km (84 miles) northwest of Paris and about one hour and 30 minutes by train, where Aquila started picking up on his football interest and skills.

"We moved from Valence up to Rouen and we lived in a townhouse, but around there's a lot of apartments," Opetera said about the township they now call home.

"And he obviously made friends through school, and we didn't actually know he was playing soccer.

"It was his best friend, the dad, he came knocking at our door, and he asked us if Aquila had a club and was already playing for a club, and we said no.

"I asked him why, and he said, "Oh, because I just seen him playing outside, he shows some good skills."

Opetera tod his friend's dad he didn't know much about football and was surprised that someone would pick out his son's skills.

"He said okay, just come with me, we've got to put them in the club. And then, yeah, the rest is history."

Proud

The fact that their young son was able to get into the Paris FC, even at the youngest development age, is something the family believes is a door-opener.

And being involved in a sport not many Samoans overseas are involved in, with physicality being one of the biggest influencers in sports choices for islanders, is extra special.

"Yeah, honestly, we're just grateful as parents that they've showed the confidence in him," Opetera said.

"I think me and my wife spoken, it feels kind of normal, because we know that it's not the end, you know, it's just a door, it's an opportunity, and for him to obviously walk into it.

"And whatever happens after that will be up to him, the work that he puts in and."

Mum Stacee said she is proud seeing her young son put in his efforts and focus on what he now loves to do.

"I'm proud of him, very proud of him, seeing him go to trainings every day, even when he didn't want to," she said.

"It's very well deserved, and I think it's inspiring as a parent to see your child do something that they actually are passionate about, and they actually put the hard work in.

"It just makes us proud, because he deserves what he's achieved, because he knows he has to work hard for it."

Stacee said she has been doing a lot of 'behind the scene' work, "taking him to training, making sure there's always food on the table and cooks, not just for his trainings, but you know, for energy, carbohydrate, to make sure he plays well".

Because of her husband's busy rugby schedule Stacee had to be a sole parent for 12 months.

"My husband was away for a year, so this season it was hard doing everything alone," she revealed.

"Kind of felt like a solo mum for a bit. I would travel, I'll drive sometimes five hours, I'll fly overseas with him to Spain and in Turkey, so just seeing him do what he loves was a good opportunity.

The family is also happy because their numerous trips around France and to other parts of Europe for trials and tests will now end since Aquila has just one commitment, with Paris FC.

"Before he was doing a lot of tests at different clubs, yeah, especially this season, and my wife was doing a lot of those trips," he revealed.

"So now he only goes to Paris FC for camps and when they have matches or tournaments, so yeah, we're grateful and we're happy, but at the same time we just, we know it's his opportunity."

'It's his dream'

The Peleseuma family now have one collective dream: seeing Aquila rise and achieve at the highest level that he can.

It could mean seeing the young Samoan native play professional football in the not too distant future.

"We know it's a big industry and it's a tough market, but we know that anything's possible if you put your mind and your heart into it," Opetera said.

"So, yeah, the biggest dream for us will be to see him achieve his dreams, because the main thing is that it's his dream, not our dream.

"To see him literally achieve that will make us happy as parents."