The 17-year-old utility player spent the last half team with Nacional in Madeira and his reward is a two-year contract starting at the beginning of next season.
Weir is the second Jersey footballer to be offered a two-year contract with a Portuguese Club in recent months following St Brelade Sports and Social Club’s Ricky Figueira who will be joining Madeira rivals CS Mar?timo this summer. Both clubs play in the top flight in Portugal.
De La Salle College student Weir, who spent two years with Southampton FC’s Academy between 2004 and 2006, said: ‘I’m delighted to be given another opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it. I will sign the contract sometime in July I expect, after I have finished my school exams.
‘I trained with lads one and two years older than me and I feel I acquitted myself well. It’s totally different to English football; training was centred round technical ability while the English game is more about physical strength.
‘It will be hard settling in; some of the coaches and players speak English but I’m prepared to learn Portuguese. I know there are areas of my game I need to improve on and I’m prepared to work hard on them.’
St Paul’s U16 coach and Jersey referee Joao Paulo Martins, who set up Weir’s trial and was in Madeira during January and February shadowing CS Mar?timo U16 and U18 coaches, said: ‘Michael is eligible for another two years in the U18 age group because of when his birthday falls and in the two-and-a-half weeks away Nacional were pleased with him.
‘Unfortunately he could not play games because he is not a signed on player. He trained and played in small sided games and in an 11-a-side game playing against the U18s first team he played well helping the B side win 3-1.
‘When he goes back in the summer he will sign and play games in the Portuguese Junior League, south section. Benfica and Sporting Lisbon play in the same section; there are 16 clubs in the league and they play home and away which means games in Portugal too.’
