Living His Dream

At the age of 12, Wellingtonian Cole Peverley, who currently plays at midfield for Charleston Battery in South Carolina, travelled to Europe for a youth tournament in 2. He played so well that professional teams from France and Germany recruited him to attend their youth academies clubs. “My dream was to be a professional football player,” Peverley said. “The best coaches and the best players in the world train and play in Europe, so I knew that’s where I had to go to realize my dream.” Peverley signed with Hansa Rostock, a powerful club in the former East Germany. Peverley returned to New Zealand in 26 and played the next five seasons for Auckland City, Hawke’s Bay United and Team Wellington. Now with Battery, coach Mike Anhaeuser said: “He’s got a lot of skill, his technical skill is very high. When he’s got time on the ball he can drive a 4 – 5-yard ball right onto a guy’s foot. That’s a rare skill.”