I was excited on Wednesday morning when I arrived at training and the lovely girls on reception said I had a package from ACA Sports, I don’t get many presents and I am still a little kid at heart!! The team at ACA Sports sent me a brand new pair of Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Nike Mercurial Superfly II CR7 Safari FG boots. Not only that the nice people at ACA Sports have also sent a pair of the junior range for my lads to try out, much appreciated!!
They had left the price tag on the box and I have to admit I thought they were going to be made of gold when I opened the box. Instead I was met with a gleaming pair of snow leopard print boots that back in the day I would have probably worn on the dance floor rather than the football field. You have to admit they are a stylish boot with the big orange swoosh across them so you don’t forget who has made them.
As I pull them out of the box it is quickly apparent they are built with speed in mind and at the tender age of 36 I need all the help I can get in that department! I still get excited about a new pair of boots, something that never leaves you and I can’t wait to get them on, similar to the feeling I get when I am testing driving a new car. So out of the box on the feet and let’s give them a spin around the training ground.
It felt a bit weird having a brightly coloured pair of boots on my feet, I’m used to wearing traditional black or white boots pretty much my entire career. The first thing that hits me, apart from the pattern, is how light they feel! It is almost as if I am wearing a pair of thin socks with studs in the bottom, that feels pretty good and as I trot out onto the pitch I have an extra spring in my step, perhaps this could be the answer to me playing another 5 years!! Kicking the ball around is a pleasure in these boots, the material is so thin which means your foot feels so close the ball and and the coating on the synthetic leather upper does seem to make it easier to keep close control.
I mentioned they are built for speed and I would definitely recommend them for wingers and attack minded players, they are so light and great for control. Not sure I am suited to them in the thick of things in midfield but I will keep dreaming!!
When I got home with the Nike Mercurial Victory CR7 Safari Junior FG boots the boys couldn’t wait to try them out. The three of us went out onto our field of dreams in the back garden to try them out, snow leopard print all round, it was quite a funny sight! Kids look up to the professional players and of course they both know who Cristiano Ronaldo is, he is that guy Daddy had in his pocket during the Derby vs Manchester United game a few years back!
They enjoyed the novelty of them and they were nice and light and within minutes they wanted to try out their Ronaldo free kicks, I was quick to point out that Daddy takes better free kicks for Derby. The most important thing at their age is that they enjoy playing the game and live a healthy lifestyle, whatever boots they are wearing. Within half an hour the novelty of the boots had worn off for them and it was back to normal, just the way it should be!
£275 (or £259.95 from ACA Sports) for the adult boots is a lot of money in anyone’s book but football is all about earning the extra yard, scoring that late goal or winning that vital point for your team.
Certainly the £34.95 price tag for the junior boot is a lot easier to stomach for young players but I am always keen to stress to the boys that it is the player in the boots and not the boots that make the difference.
To view a great selection of Nike Mercurial football boots for adults and juniors, visit ACA Sports.