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HOW IT ALL BEGAN /
Billy comes from a football family, born on the famous White Hart Lane close to the Tottenham Hostpur stadium, his father once played for Spurs and cousin for bitter rivals Arsenal. Billy shared their talent for the game and played semi professional football. Billy said "I was always pretty good but due to my small size and frame, I was never really given the chance to become a pro, so just kept practicing my tricks."
After working as a football coach for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and other coaching schools, Billy began his football freestyle career in 2002 after reaching the semi finals of the Nike Freestyle Competition in London.
He went on to perform at various events and on TV shows such as 'Dream team' on Sky One and kids channels Disney and Nickelodeon, before signing for his beloved Tottenham Hotspur in December 03 as their Official Football Freestyler.
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SIGNING FOR SPURS /
Billy works on a wide range of projects for Spurs and their Tottenham Foundation. From marketing local and nationwide initiatives alongside the players, to launching the new kit and giving football skills coaching at Spurs soccer schools and on the Tottenham website.
He has worked alongside the likes of Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Ledley King and Luka Modric. Billy adds 'As a massive spurs fan, it's great to be their official football freestyler. It's the closest I will ever get to being a Tottenham player and working alongside the players that you watch from the stands is great.'
Billy's favourite part of his ambassador role for Spurs is to perform at half time in front of the crowd 'I get a real buzz from performing the tricks in front of Spurs fans, in the stadium I love and on the pitch where so many of my heroes have played, it's fantastic' said Billy.
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SEEING THE WORLD /
As well as his work for Spurs Billy has used his freestyle football skills to promote brands through live events, TV commercial, print advertising, internet videos and websites all over the world.
Since 2004 Billy has worked all over Europe and the middle East, the US, Japan, Korea and South Africa. Billy adds 'To do my football tricks and see the world is fantastic. It's great to see how different cultures react and engage with the freestyle skills. Football is a universal language, but each culture adds something special to it'.
Through his work with both Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan & the David Beckham Academy, Billy has taken his soccer skills and coached them to kids in cities such as Soeul, Johanesbourg and New York.
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SOCCER SKILLS COACHING /
Billy has developed his own unique soccer skills coaching lessons which he gives wherever he goes. 'I think it's important to give something back to an audience that give you support, so after I perform a freestyle show I always try to invite people up to try and learn some of the tricks or give a skills coaching session if it's an academy event. Football freestyle may be useless during a game, but it does improve your technique, ball control, coordination and confidence - which are all vital attributes in becoming a footballer. So there is an important role for it in football.
Billy's soccer skills coaching is an inspiration to kids all over the world and ever since he started out as a freestyler, he has always dreamed of making a freestyle skills tutorial DVD, and in 2006, Billy launched the first in his Football skills DVD 'Learn Freestyle Football' teaching you how to learn his amazing football skills and when to use them in a match.
You can see more on the DVD series here.
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AMBASSADOR ROLES /
Billy has become an ambassador for a number of football organisations and Soccer Schools. His amazing freestyle tricks, soccer skills coaching and positive role model image have made him the ideal choice for many football clubs, soccer academies, football events and government organisations and initatives.
He regularly attends events and schools to perform his football tricks and give motivational speeches to kids of all ages and backgrounds to inspire them to improve and have fun.
'It's important to use my freestyle skills in the right way. If I can give someone inspiration to improve and give themselves a better life then that's great'.
To see all of Billy's ambassador roles and what he does for each, click here.
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MAJOR EVENTS /
Billy has performed at some of the biggest sporting events, in the UK, Europe and worldwide. He has performed his football skills at Premiership, La liga & Serie A matches. He has also performed at International qualifiers and friendlies involving England, Brazil, France and Wales.
But Billy's biggest freestyle performance came at the world cup final fanfest at the Branden Berg gates in Berlin in 2006. During half time, Billy had to entertain a crowd of over 250,000 spanning across 3 miles (A world record live audience for a football performance) with his football freestyle show. 'When I walked out and saw the crowd, I couldn't believe it. I knew I had to be at my best and not make a single mistake, as they switched the game off and showed my performance on all the big screens, going back for miles for all those fans who couldn't see the stage. But the bigger the audience, the better my performance and the fact that I was performing alone in front of twice as many fans as the players in the final - just spurred me on even more'.
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TV COMMERCIALS /
Worldwide brands such as Nike, L'Oreal, Ford and Konami have all used Billy's amazing football skills to endorse and advertise their products and campaigns through TV commercials and Internet Virals. As well as performing for the commercials himself, Billy has been used to Choreograph the football skills and tricks for the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on shoots for some of the best football commercials.
'Its fantastic to see behind the scenes of these great commercials and to be a part of it. But to actually meet the best players in the world and teach them tricks is amazing. These players are idolised throughout the world and on the pitch there is nothing they cannot do, but they are standing there watching me and then asking how I do that football trick! It's crazy'.
To see Billy's commercials and virals click here.
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