The career path of Nitai Grace, who signed today (Tuesday) with Maccabi Haifa, is not a routine path and certainly not for a young goalkeeper. He was only 15 when he was accepted by Juventus, but as in many cases, here too, the Corona changed plans and at the age of 16 Nitai Grace found himself in the Italian Udinese. The promising goalkeeper, who grew up in Maccabi Petah Tikva, is now connected to the champions. Grace made 4 appearances for Udinese’s youth team, and 11 appearances for Castellanovo Woman in the fourth division of Italy. Now he’s back to the greens
“At the age of 7-8 I started playing in the football school of Maccabi Petah Tikva, I really liked it and continued. It came out of nowhere, no one in the family played football, I just fell in love with it and when I moved to be a goalkeeper, at about 10, they saw that I also have potential in it. , “He told the sports channel in an interview. “I think I realized I was good at it myself when we excelled in the state cup final for the kids we won and I heard people start talking around and saying, ‘He’s good, there’s something in him.'”
What do you think sets Maccabi Petah Tikva’s youth department apart from other clubs?
“I’m another product of this truly amazing department that knows how to bring out talents and nurture them in the best way possible. I think what sets it apart is first and foremost the attitude to the individual, the very personal work given to each and every one, identifying talents at a young age.”
“At Maccabi Petah Tikva, we identify a player and nurture him personally in almost every aspect, giving him everything a footballer needs to develop and reach adulthood. The most important thing is that Maccabi Petah Tikva is not afraid to bring young people to the senior team. I, for example, trained almost regularly with the seniors from the age of two. They let the players integrate and feel mature and players feel that. The club and a place where they can break out and flourish. “
When did you start thinking about abroad?
“I always knew I wanted to play abroad, from the age of 13 I told my parents, and set myself that goal. At the age of 15, I came to it – I took my first tests at Juventus. It was a long journey of a great deal of scouting and watching my entire games for almost half a year just to invite me for exams. Representatives of Yuba also came to see me in the country and were very impressed and after the tests I was informed that I was accepted, but a week later the corona started and everything was canceled. I stayed in the country for another year, and a year later the offer came from Udinese that I had not thought twice and immediately jumped on it.
“Obviously I was wrong not to come to Juventus, it’s natural, but after I was accepted, I quickly realized that I was there, that I belonged to those levels and that I was good at what I did. I knew then it was not the right thing for me at the right time. The disappointment. “
You’re a 16 year old boy crossing the continent, without a language, without friends, have you not thought twice?
“No. It’s my dream from a very young age. It’s true that there are a lot of difficulties along the way and you do not really understand why you came in until you did not get into it, but I think mentally I was as ready as I could for a 16 year old boy to come abroad. I think I made all the possible preparations whether it be to practice before on the language, I knew a little Italian before I arrived, and researched on the club.
How are you doing there today?
“I speak fluent Italian, but Italy is very different. The conditions are very good, but you feel it is not your home. .
“The training is also very different, at a much higher intensity. I can say that when I came to Italy straight I trained with the Udinese graduates for this year and the demands were very high and the down to the smallest details that keep you thinking in training. These are very difficult things to get used to. It’s easy to deal with especially in the first year, especially when you’re 16. And I kept saying to myself ‘you know this period will pass and everything will be fine, all the difficulties you are going through now will pay off for you in the future.’ I really believe in it, I still believe in it and it totally was worth it”.
How does all this clutter get along with studies?
“In 11th grade, when I moved to Italy, I moved to Anchorage High School. They let me in my time to do my matriculation and give me peace of mind to play football, the thing I love and do best. I know I will finish school on time and I am not committed to unnecessary tests. Attached to me is a private tutor in Zoom and I study with him in my own times, whenever I can and should. “In the end, I will not play football for life even if I stay in this profession for many years and need something after that, there was no way to leave my studies aside.”
What does your day in Italy look like?
“The owners of Udinese have a hotel where the players live. There is a compound with a restaurant where we eat and the pitch is a mile away so you can get there on foot. The workouts are usually at noon and three times a week I have strength training in the gym.”
“I’m currently on loan at the fourth division in Italy. I was very surprised when I got there, it’s a very strong team, everything is in order and there are players of a very high standard, who grew up in the biggest youth departments in Italy: Juventus, AC Milan, Inter, Napoli. Who come to see this league. “
“I moved from youth to seniors and it’s different, what’s more it’s a very very competitive league. Half of the league wants to go up and win and it’s very different from youth, that in youth the goal is to come and play football and get better week by week. “I feel that this transition has only done me good and going into adulthood at the earliest possible age will open me up and help me upgrade myself at a much earlier stage in my career, and break through at a much earlier stage at the highest levels.”
“I’m the youngest in the locker room. It’s very different because in a teen’s locker room everyone’s friends, and everyone’s laughs and everyone knows everyone and everyone’s also everyone’s friends. In an adults’ locker room there’s a lot of ego and a lot of hierarchy, and you know who controls the locker room Respect and where is your status in the hierarchy. I’m the youngest so my word in the locker room is suddenly less equal, and suddenly other people are more the ones who hold the locker room and talk and hit everyone. But get along, they got me really nice. I must point out I myself did not think the transition “Mine will be so smooth and I think this team is just the right thing for me to make this transition from youth to adulthood.”
How much do you feel the place you are in is hard work and how much innate talent?
“I think without hard work I would not have achieved anything. There is quite a bit of talent, but without the hard work I could not express it. Talent is just the basis.”
And you also get quite a bit of money for your hard work
“I have people who help me financially. The fact that I earn well does not concern me in any way, I do not look at it differently from my friends who work in the jobs of 17 year old children. I have the people who help me manage my money and I think I run with it very much. “Smart. I do not waste and I do not have to, I have all the conditions I need around.”
What are the aspirations for the future?
“My ambitions are first and foremost to fulfill my potential and achieve the goals I set for myself and to be satisfied with the career I do and most importantly to enjoy a path. Of course also to reach the highest levels I can, and the best teams in the world in the best leagues. “In my stages and in my time. I believe it will happen soon.”
A specific group you dream of being in?
“There is no specific team. I hope that in four years from today I will be a player in Serie A and the senior Israeli team.”