Decision time looms for Win A Pro hopefuls (From Swindon Advertiser)

Decision time looms for Win A Pro hopefuls

7:00am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Local By Gary Rose

TYRONE Amory and Chris Smith completed their week of training with Swindon Town yesterday as the Samsung Win A Pro contract finalists hope to convince Paolo Di Canio they are worthy of a one-year deal with the Robins.

Four hopefuls were picked out of 1,000s to spend five days training with the Swindon senior team in an effort to convince Di Canio they could have the makings of a professional footballer.

At 22, defender Amory – who plays for Evo-Stik Southern League side Barwell – accepts that this could be his last chance to make a career out of playing football.

“My heart wasn’t fully in football when I was younger but now it definitely is,” he said.

“If I am selected it would be the best thing ever – training every day and play football every day, that is hardly a job is it?

“I am currently a personal trainer and I work eight hours a day. When I was on the books of Derby’s youth team I trained two hours a day, so when I think about that it does put me down a bit – that I didn’t try harder when I was there.

“This is probably the best opportunity I’ll get to play full time football.”

Smith, who also plays in defence, is one year younger than Amory and is currently studying Sports Coaching and Development at Staffordshire University.

He had spells at Everton and Stoke as a youth team player, but has most recently been playing for Stone Dominoes in the Vodkat Premier League.

And, having spent the last few days experiencing exactly what it would be like to be a professional footballer, he admitted that signing a deal with Swindon would be the best thing to happen to him yet.

“It will change my life,” he said. I am a full time student at university at the moment and if I got this contract I wouldn’t be going to university every day. I would swap that every day of the week.

“Hopefully I have played well enough in training and if the manager has liked what he has seen then hopefully he will pick me.”

The winner will be announced during half-time at Swindon’s League Two clash with Accrington Stanley on Saturday, February 25.