Hunter Manulat started playing soccer when he was eight years old – a bit later than most of his teammates.
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But just three years later the Bellbird boy has been chosen in the Hunter Hawks Elite Football Academy under-11s squad and the Hunter Region Independent Schools primary boys’ soccer team.
Hunter is in year five at St Philip’s Christian College Cessnock and was among more than 70 boys from 16 schools who tried out for the HRIS team.
Hunter said he was surprised and excited to make the team.
“I thought I had no chance,” he said.
The HRIS team will take on eight other regional sides at the NSW Combined Independent Schools primary boys’ football carnival and selection trials on Monday, April 3.
A NSW Combined Independent Schools team will be announced at the end of the day.
Hunter said he’s looking forward to the NSW CIS carnival and also the year ahead with the Hunter Hawks.
He hopes to make it into the Emerging Jets program in two years’ time, and eventually play in the A-League.
A striker or midfielder, Hunter says he loves scoring goals.
His favourite team is Arsenal and his favourite player is German midfielder Mesut Özil.
And he comes from decent sporting pedigree – Hunter’s uncle Juan Cutillas played for Atletico Madrid in his youth and went on to coach the Philippines national team.
