Teen footballer Lewis Duncan will swap Airdrie for Benfica this month when he travels to the Portuguese heavyweights for a training camp.
An attacker, 14-year-old Duncan has been watched by senior clubs in Scotland and currently plays for Gartcairn Football Academy.
And now he has been invited to become a trainee at the Portuguese club, which has produced players like Manchester City star Bernardo Silva in recent years.
Duncan will feature in two friendly matches over in Portugal as part of the Benfica Coerver Elite International Development Squad for October.
The Gartcairn youngster can’t wait as he looks to follow the likes of Scottish midfielder Ryan Gauld, who moved to Sporting Lisbon at the age of 18.
“It’s really exciting to get the chance to go somewhere like Benfica," he said. "It was just excitement when I heard about it.
“My friends in school think it’s amazing. Guys like Ryan Gauld are a wee bit of an inspiration. I think the school will give me a couple of weeks off. I didn’t really expect an opportunity like this.”
Duncan’s father, Jason, is doing his best to keep his son’s feet on the ground. But he knows it’s an opportunity too good to turn down.
“When you see Lewis play, he shouldn’t be at boys’ club level,” said proud Jason. "He’s at Gartcairn Football Academy in Airdrie but he will be in the hands of Benfica for two weeks.
“Gartcairn are a decent team. Lewis’s team beat Kilmarnock 3-2 the other week. He has got to do Portuguese lessons!
"He will play two friendly matches against local teams – so he will basically be a Benfica trainee for the two weeks. He’s also got a Benfica or a Benfica B match to watch.
“It’s good that he’s going to this as it will be a great experience for him. I’m over the moon for him.
"He’s going to be getting tips on how he can improve and what he can do eating-wise, and over in Portugal, someone will be doing that with him.
“I’ve not spoken to any clubs personally but I’m told that there are clubs watching him. “But it’s good there are people watching him. He’s at Gartcairn because his friends are there, and he goes to school nearby.”
The Duncans are no strangers to the opportunities youth football can bring. Lewis’ brother, Jordan Duncan, is at Lowland League club Broomhill, having come through the Airdrie youth academy.
The duo’s schedule makes football the centre of family life, taking up much of their free time. It isn’t a way of life though that anybody in the family would surrender.
“Jordan was at Airdrie and was mainly in the reserves,” added the pair’s father. “He then moved to Queen’s Park after he left Airdrie and is now playing his football with Broomhill in the Lowland League system.
“Football is our life. That’s all me and my wife do; training, football, training. “It’s a big part of our life and we honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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