International Links

If a Bury fan was to hear that a Gigg Lane star was set to be called up for international honours, the normal assumption would be that Terry Dunfield had been called up once again to represent his native Canada. But the Shakers can now boast another midfield battler who is set to receive an international cap, albeit in far more unusual circumstances.

Thanks in no small part to years of dedication and hard work, youth team lynchpin Vassos Theophanous has made the unlikely journey along a rocky road from Cyprus to Bury via Rochdale - and back again now that his country of origin has come calling.

Since moving with his family at the age of nine from the Mediterranean to the somewhat cooler climate of Cheadle so that his brother could enjoy an improved education, Vassos - now 17 - has toiled endlessly in order to boost his chances of living his dream and becoming a professional footballer.

Starting out with junior side Fletcher Moss Rangers (the side that gave Wes Brown an early taste of action), he later moved on to Rochdale, spending two years at Spotland in their Centre of Excellence, before receiving the news that no aspiring young footballer ever wants to hear. Due to a lack of space on the YTS scheme, Theophanous was released, but that wasn’t to stop this strong minded young character from striving to succeed.

"I was very determined to prove Rochdale wrong," he recalls, "So I wrote to all the local clubs looking for a trial, and Bury were the first to respond."

Vassos impressed under the gaze of Bury’s former Head of Youth Andy Feeley during his trial at the end of last season, and the Cypriot’s hopes were high that the door to a professional career hadn’t closed. However, Feeley’s departure in June and heightened uncertainty over the future of the club’s youth set-up left him in limbo.

"Macclesfield contacted me in the summer, and invited me for a 3 week trial, which I took because I had no contact from Bury by that stage. They were impressed with me, and offered me a one year non-contract deal, so it looked like I was going to go there," he revealed.

Thankfully, the arrival of charismatic Chorley-based businessman Ross Johnson to the Shakers’ board of directors re-opened the doors to the cash-threatened Centre of Excellence in July, and within weeks former Manchester United and Reading defender Chris Casper was appointed as youth team coach. That move was crucial for Vassos, as Casper decided to offer him another spell at Gigg Lane to try and prove his worth.

"I had to prove myself all over again," he continues, "Which was a really good challenge for me. I kept on playing as well as I could and putting in the effort, and in the end it paid off."

The lack of finance at Bury meant that the club couldn’t offer Theophanous the same paid YTS contract as his new team mates in the youth side, but he was willing to sign the year-long non-contract form that he believed offered his best chance of getting to the top. Even once he was signed on though, there were further battles to be fought.

"There are five of us who play in central midfield, and obviously with the system we play only offering the chance for two lads to start in that position, there are always going to be three of us who are disappointed on a match day. It was frustrating that I couldn’t get a game in the early part of the season, but I played the full 90 minutes on the first Saturday in December against Wigan, and Chris Casper and Neil Hanks said that I was the man of the match. I then played 85 minutes for the reserves the following Wednesday, and I’ve been playing regularly ever since."

A string of excellent performances so far for the youths and reserves during what is effectively an extended trial have been noted, and will surely provide good reason to hope that a full YTS deal could be on its way at the end of the season.

He has received heavy praise from his coaches, with Head of Youth Neil Hanks being very complimentary about the player. He says:

"The best thing about Vassos’ game is that he does the basics very well. He’s a big strong lad, and not a flair player like David Beckham, so although he does try some more flamboyant stuff at times, I tell him to keep it simple, as every side needs a Roy Keane rather than a whole team of Beckhams. He’s a very honest lad, which is the type of player we want, and the sort of man we can look to build a team around."

His performances have now been noted from afar, with a call-up to the Cyprus under 19 national side in the pipe-line. He says:

"I had a trial with the national team, and they told me that they think I’m certainly good enough for the under 17 side, but they’d like me to play up in the under 19’s. They’ve got a game coming up around Easter time, and I’m waiting by the phone now to find out when I’ll get the call-up. Playing for the national side will be excellent, as it gives me a chance to compete at another level, and I hope the manager will like me enough to keep me in the side."

The soon-to-be international has even grander aims than his imminent debut for Cyprus, involving the possibility of playing internationally for more than one country, and also making an appearance or two for a certain team based on the opposite side of Greater Manchester at Old Trafford.

"Even though I was born in Cyprus, I’ve lived in England long enough to be able to play for them too, so hopefully one day I’ll be good enough to have to make the choice between which side I should play for. My biggest aim though is to play for Manchester United, as my family are all huge United fans. My ambition is to sign for them one day, or hopefully just play there a few times at the top level with another club. I believe that you’ve got to aim high, because even if you only get half way there, you’ll be doing ok."

Before those dreams turn to reality though, Vassos has to continue his focus on becoming a permanent fixture at Gigg Lane.

"I train full-time, and get treated the same as the rest of the youth team lads, it’s just that every Friday they pick up their wages and I don’t," he says, "I’m just here until the end of the year, so I’ve got to work hard, and in spite of the money situation, I hope there’s something here for me."

If contracts were awarded purely on the merit of hard work and determination, Vassos would certainly be at the front of the queue. Let’s hope Bury can loosen the purse strings and turn dreams into reality for one of the most deserving causes at the club for many a year.