Anton Ferdinand admitted it was a “full circle moment” as he made an emotional return to the Budget Energy SuperCupNI this week.
The former England international made his name with West Ham, following in the footsteps of his brother Rio by graduating from the acclaimed Hammers academy before excelling in the Premier League.
Now there is another Ferdinand making a name for himself with the Boleyn Boys, Anton’s son, Flynn, and Ferdinand senior is hoping the SuperCupNI has as big an impact on his son’s life as it had on his all those years ago.
“It really is a full circle moment for me, as I played in it back in 1998 and now my son is playing in it, which is quite moving for me,” said Ferdinand.
“It’s the first time I’ve been back here in a long, long time and it’s brought back a lot of memories of being around Coleraine and Portrush.
“It was the first trip away that I had with West Ham, and probably the one that had the biggest bearing on my life as a footballer. It gave me an understanding of what pressure feels like. I’ll forever be grateful to the SuperCupNI.”
The SuperCupNI clearly had a huge influence on the young Ferdinand in 1998 and he believes the experience of living like a professional footballer for tournament week is invaluable for every player involved.
“I said to my son it’s the first time you’ll feel what it’s like to be a footballer,” he said. “The attention that you get here, doing interviews, being in the local press and being on local TV, is fantastic.
“The numbers speak for themselves in terms of how many players have come through this tournament and gone on to play in the Premier League.
“I’m one of them. As I said, I have a lot to give back to this competition because it taught me so much and gave me the foundations of what a footballer should really look like, not only as a professional but also in terms of dealing with the limelight.”
Ferdinand watched from the sidelines as he took in Thursday morning’s Boys’ Minor Cup semi-final between Portadown and Linfield at Anderson Park, and he praised the competitiveness of Northern Ireland’s teams in recent years.
“It says a lot about the rise in standards over the last 20 years and I think that’s the beauty of it,” he said.
“The professional academies have helped raise standards and make the local players better. From what I remember, that was always the aim, especially as I got older.
“This tournament is here not just to benefit the community, but to benefit the young Northern Irish players who aspire to become footballers.
“It gives them a shop window to put themselves in front of English clubs and clubs from further afield, while also showing them the standards they need to reach if they want to get there.
“There’s no better place than being on your own home turf, where you feel most comfortable, to show what you can do.”
The 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI is proudly supported by headline partner Budget Energy, alongside a valued network of partners including Tourism NI, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Sterling Insurance, Creagh Concrete, Uhlsport, KLIR, IDS Accountants, Tesco, The Premier League, TrustFord, 247.TV and BuyTicketApp.
For more information on the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, visit www.supercupni.com
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For further information please contact:
AY.
Russell Lever
Mob: 07841676976
Email: russell@ay.studio
