At just 17, Vakhtang Salia is set to swap Dinamo Tbilisi for Newcastle United, marking a major step in his career. The young striker, inspired by Georgian stars like Kvaratskhelia, will move to England in August, hoping to shine in the Premier League and one day represent his national team.
Georgian Vakhtang Salia may only be 17-years-old but he will soon be trading Dinamo Tbilisi's training ground for Newcastle United’s famous St James' Park stadium.
The striker, known as Vakho, was with his friends when he heard he would be moving to Premier League Newcastle. He will relocate to England near his 18th birthday in August.
For the young prospect, who started playing aged four and debuted for Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia's top flight only a year ago, signing for a Premier League club is a dream come true.
“I couldn’t believe it. But I can’t believe it right up until now. It’s my dream to play there," he said.
Salia is part of a rising generation of young Georgian players who have given the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a spot on the world soccer map.
Salia told Reuters that among the players he most admires are Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze, who shone during the Euro 2024 campaign, Georgia's first major tournament. They lost to eventual champions Spain in the last 16.
The Euros saw Georgia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, win 2-0 against a Portugal side captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, another of Salia’s soccer idols, in the group stage with goals from Kvaratskhelia and Mikautadze.
Salia also hopes to play for Georgia one day.
“Football in Georgia now is getting bigger," he said. "It’s every Georgian’s dream for Georgia to play in the World Cup and the Euros. And I hope that I'll play one day in the national team, too."
Dinamo Tbilisi head coach Vladimer Kakashvili said that Salia has every chance of becoming as good a player as his more established countrymen, even if the Premier League is a step up.
“Undoubtedly, today English football is among the best in Europe, where there are very high speeds, very high physical standards, and Vakho will need a certain period to get used to that,” he said.
Salia’s career at Dinamo Tbilisi so far leaves him well placed to shine in England, added Kakashvili.
“When a footballer joins the main team at such a young age, it shows that he’s undoubtedly talented, that he undoubtedly works on himself, and that he is a professional of the highest level," he said.
“I think with his talent, strong work ethic, and dedication, he can play in any competition. It won’t be a problem.”
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature&rs...
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying ...
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that there was also a strike on warehouse facilities in another part of the city.
University students in Mexico have held a vigil for a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student killed in the central state of Morelos, with authorities investigating her death as a possible feminicide.
Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Gupta's parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived.
Foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand delivered opening statements on Tuesday at the first meeting of a UN arbitration process to resolve a long-running maritime dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
A federal judge has halted a Trump administration immigration policy that would have significantly changed how long foreign students, exchange visitors and international journalists can remain in the United States.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment