Former Chelsea FA Youth Cup Final scorer and AFC Sudbury midfielder Marcel Lewis makes Ballers League debut for John Terry’s 26ers team on Sky Sports
Playing live on Sky Sports is something you would think AFC Sudbury players could only dream about - until now.
For that is just what is unfolding each and every Monday over the next few months for Marcel Lewis as he goes up against former professionals, international-capped futsal players and wonderkids like himself in the inaugural UK Baller League.
The former Chelsea FA Youth Cup final scorer, who signed for AFC from Cambridge City in early February, was drafted into former Chelsea and England captain John Terry’s team for the six-a-side format league involving12 sides managed by famous faces. Match of the Day presenting team Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards head up Deportrio while Portugal legend Luis Figo manages Trebol FC.
The 23-year-old, who played for AFC in Saturday’s 1-0 home win against Redditch United and is in the squad for tonight’s Southern League Premier Central fixture at Alvechurch, made his debut alongside former Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth player Jordan Ibe in Terry’s 26ers team on ‘Gameday 1’.
But Lewis ended on the losing side at the Copper Box Arena in London, going down 5-2 to football podcaster Sharky’s SDS FC. Having taken the lead, they suffered during both of the three-minute randomised game-changing endings to the halves which saw the numbers halved to 3 vs 3 in the first and players unable to go backwards once over the half-way line in the second.
With rolling subs, Cambridge-born Lewis played a total of nine minutes of the 30 available, being clocked with 87.50 per cent passing accuracy.
AFC Sudbury promotion winner Sak Hassan, who left the Yellows to sign for the team that pipped them to the title in 2022/23, Hashtag United, is also part of Terry and Jordy Morris’ 26ers team.
Mildenhall Town’s Jake Chambers-Shaw is also involved, being part of the MVPs United side that got off to a winning start for Juventus player Alisha Lehmann and co-manager Maya Jama, presenter of Love Island. They claimed a 5-4 win over F.C RTW.
The influencer-led Baller League - headlined headlined by KSI for the UK version - began in Germany, created by entrepreneur Felix Starck and aided by former German internationals Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski.
After beginning on March 24, it carries on weekly until the final on June 11, with all rounds being played out in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
