Andy Devaney
If your child’s idea of a perfect school holiday involves sunshine, sharp passing, and the kind of stories that begin with “when I played at Old Trafford…”, then Aphrodite Hills Resort has just placed a rather glamorous fixture into the 2026 calendar. The Cyprus resort is rolling out a ten-camp programme across the school holidays, with a parade of former Premier League and international names—Phil Babb, Emile Heskey and Louis Saha among them—turning up to coach youngsters aged five to 16 for a week at a time.
It’s the sort of line-up that would look excessive even on a football sticker album. Yet this is not a one-off exhibition match or a quick photo op with a famous grin. These are structured, week-long training camps delivered again in partnership with Masters Football and Dream Team Soccer School—designed for families who like their holidays with a side order of purposeful energy and a decent first touch.
A school-holiday schedule with serious star power
The 2026 programme begins during the Easter break, with former Wales international Joe Ledley hosting the opening camp from April 6–10. The next whistle blows in late May, as former West Ham United and England striker Carlton Cole—who clocked up more than 350 appearances for the Hammers—takes charge from May 25–29.
Then comes summer, when routines dissolve, screen-time negotiations begin, and parents everywhere consider the radical concept of “wear them out properly.” Enter Aphrodite Hills Resort, stage left, with a July kick-off led by former Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant from July 20–24. A second camp follows the next week, hosted by a yet-to-be-named former footballer—the only mystery on a schedule otherwise packed with familiar faces.
August is where things get particularly nostalgic. Manchester United title winner Lee Sharpe hosts from August 3–7, followed the next week by Emile Heskey, a striker who gathered 62 England caps and made more than 600 career appearances—numbers that sound even bigger when you remember he did most of it while being defended by men who treated shin pads as optional.
From August 17–21, former Fulham, Manchester United and France striker Louis Saha takes the coaching reins. A week later, former Czech Republic international and Champions League winner with Liverpool Vladimír Šmicer hosts the eighth camp of the year—an elegant footballer from an era when midfielders still had the time, space, and nerve to pick a pass rather than simply survive the press.
After the summer rush, the autumn programme opens with Phil Babb—former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender—coaching from October 19–23. The season concludes from October 26–30 with another yet-to-be-named former footballer, which is either a clever teaser or a reminder that even legends have diaries.
Coaching, not just cameos
The selling point here is not merely that famous names turn up. It’s that the camps are positioned as proper coaching experiences, with the resort leaning into its sporting identity rather than treating football as a holiday add-on.
Miguel Girbes, Director of Golf and Sports at Aphrodite Hills Resort, said: “The Masters Camps have become a cornerstone of our sporting calendar, and the 2026 programme reflects our commitment to delivering authentic, high-quality coaching experiences. Each of these players brings not only an exceptional playing pedigree, but also a genuine enthusiasm for working with young footballers in an environment that is both professional and enjoyable.”
That final line matters. Kids can spot a phoney faster than a VAR review. “Professional and enjoyable” is exactly the balance you want: enough structure to improve skills, enough fun to feel like holiday, and enough sunshine to make you forget the rain you left behind.
Early-bird savings before January 31, 2026
Families looking to plan ahead can take advantage of early-bird bookings now available. There are savings of up to 15 per cent off rental early bird bookings and up to 30 per cent off early bird accommodation reservations made before January 31, 2026.
In an age when school-holiday pricing can feel like it’s been set by someone who dislikes parents on principle, “plan early and pay less” is a pleasantly old-fashioned concept.
Why Aphrodite Hills keeps drawing sporting families
While the headline is football, the broader pitch is the resort itself. Sporting excellence has been part of the Aphrodite Hills identity for more than two decades, including its status as home to PGA National Cyprus, a top-tier recognition for a golf course. The resort also points to a winter programme of renovations and investment across its 234-hectare estate, raising the bar across facilities for tennis, padel, football, basketball and cycling.
And if the family’s sporting tastes run beyond the touchline, the Aphrodite Hills Riding Club offers equestrian experiences in the Cypriot countryside—useful for those moments when someone in the family announces they’ve “always wanted to ride,” and you’d like them to mean it for more than 45 minutes.
2026 Masters Camps at Aphrodite Hills: key dates
- April 6–10: Joe Ledley
- May 25–29: Carlton Cole
- July 20–24: Jermaine Pennant
- Late July (TBC): yet to be named former footballer
- August 3–7: Lee Sharpe
- Mid-August: Emile Heskey
- August 17–21: Louis Saha
- Late August: Vladimír Šmicer
- October 19–23: Phil Babb
- October 26–30 (TBC): yet to be named former footballer
The bottom line
For parents, these camps offer a tidy solution: a school-holiday trip where the kids are busy, coached, and genuinely engaged—while you enjoy the Mediterranean setting and the kind of resort infrastructure that doesn’t treat sport as an afterthought. For young players, it’s a chance to be coached by names they’ve heard their parents talk about with suspicious reverence—footballers who have played at the highest level and, crucially, are turning up to teach.
And for Aphrodite Hills Resort, it’s another confident reminder that the resort isn’t just selling a sunny break in Cyprus. It’s selling a week where sport is the main event—and the memories come with shin pads.
