A young Liberian soccer/football star, eight-year-old Richelieu Bartholomew Harris, III, has begun a glamorous journey in the world of football.
The kid, who lives with his parents in California, USA, began what might be his life’s career at the Gremio Academy, where one of the game’s greatest players began his career. Gremio Academy is in Parkdale Avenue, San Diego, California.
Gremio Academy’s branch in Brazil produced the Brazilian legend, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or . He is the only player ever to have won a World Cup, a Copa America, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d’Or. A global icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his technical skills, creativity, dribbling ability and accuracy from free-kicks, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes and overhead kicks, as well as his ability to score and create goals, etc. All of these football traits are something he gathered from Gremio, where little Richelieu has begun his career, too.
Richelieu is no longer at Gremio. His parents moved him to another talent-scouting academy. But before he left Gremio, the 8-year-old, who had spent three months at the Gremio (February 2023 to April 2023), played three matches with Gremio scoring one.
In May 2023, he joined the Elite Junior Soccer Academy in Spring Valley, San Diego, California. He enrolled in the 2015/2016 year born category. This was a two-month summer program. He brought along with him his talismanic skills from Gremio Academy. He played eight games scoring four goals in three tournaments. Coach Juan Marcelo played Richelieu as a striker and a defender in the tournaments. He was very impressive in all of the eight games. Coach Marcelo praised him for his dribble skills and agility. His coach also praised him for his precisions and terrific shots. Richelieu was awarded the most-outstanding player award after the three tournaments. Richelieu then enrolled in the Elite Junior Professional Academy, where he played six competitive games, scoring two goals.
So, as to greatly sharpen his skills and gain more insights from different brains of the game, in May 2024, his parents moved him to another tutoring theatre of football, Albion Soccer Club in Chula Vista, San Diego. Since moving to Albion, Richelieu has played six games in two tournaments. He scored two goals in those games. Coach Dennis Lukens lavished praises for Richelieu’s skills at such a very tender age. Coach Lukens said Richelieu was the most-outstanding player in the two tournaments. Coach Lukens also tried Richelieu in striking and defensive positions during the tournament and he did deliver well to his coach’s admiration.
The eight-year-old has his eyes fixed on one day plying his career in London, England and Madrid, Spain. Richelieu’s desire is to play for Arsenal in London or Real Madrid in Madrid. He developed love for Arsenal during his vacation to London. His dad, Richelieu Bartholomew Harris, Jr., took him to watch the last season’s West Ham vs Arsenal game at the London Stadium. Arsenal, who was playing away, won that match 6-0. He was thrilled as his dream team’s players raced into a 4-0 lead in an extraordinary first half thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, leaving the home side stunned.
Little Richelieu, who was born on August 18, 2016 in Monrovia, may one day don the Red, White and Blue jersey of the Lonestar of Liberia depending on whether he, his parents and managers of the Liberian national men’s football team can reach an agreement that favor all the parties.
At the moment, he is also doing well in his academic sojourn. Richelieu attends the Ira Harbison Elementary School in National City. He was promoted to 3rd grade at the end of 2023/2024 school year. During the school year, he was awarded the Math Wiz Award, Principal’s Award and the Safety Award. Richelieu also received certificate of Award from the First Presbyterian Church, San Diego, for Bible verses memorization.
