Town forward Capello's journey from Belize to Halifax

Angelo Capello's story begins over 8,000 kilometres away on the north-east coast of Central America.
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Capello was born in Belize and moved to the UK when he was around 11-years-old.

By the time he moved to Britain, he was already playing football regularly, for his school team and local junior sides.

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"We relocated when my mum met my step-dad and I had no real intentions of taking football seriously, I just played it for fun," he said.

Angelo Capello. Photo: Marcus BranstonAngelo Capello. Photo: Marcus Branston
Angelo Capello. Photo: Marcus Branston

"I got into a Sunday League team through my mates at school, scouts watched me from Sheffield United and the offered me a six week trial."

Within a week, Capello signed a contract with The Blades, having only been in the UK for less than three months.

"It was hard at first because I'd gone from not playing football seriously to being in an environment where contracts were on the line and being judged every day," he said.

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"So it was a big shock to me, not really knowing anyone more than anything, and getting into the routine of it was the hardest bit, understanding that it's fun but it's also a business.

"But I got to grips with it and got through the ranks."

Capello joined the club aged 12, and was there until this summer.

"Unfortunately I didn't really get a shot at the first-team, which was a massive factor in me looking elsewhere."

Capello played under former Halifax midfielder Michael Collins at Sheffield United.

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"He brought the best out of me in a lot of ways, in terms of me as a player but as a person as well," he said.

"He's someone that has helped me, although I didn't work under him long, but he rated me as a player and he was massive in terms of my confidence.

"He mentioned to me a bit about Halifax and he said it's a good move and if the contract came about, I should take it.

"He said that the manager and how they played would suit me. He always had good things to say about Halifax."

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Capello says his loan spell last season at National League North outfit Blyth, where he registered one goal and four assists in 12 games, was a crucial stage in his development.

"It was something I was really keen on doing, it didn't matter where it was or what league it was, I just wanted first-team football," he said.

"In terms of development, Blyth brought me a long way in terms of getting that feeling of wanting three points and all the love from the fans that comes with that.

"That was something you don't really have at academy football, that cut-throat changing room environment and where three points really matters.

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"That was something I really wanted to get a taste of because I knew this year was coming around and I didn't want to go into a first-team not having had previous experience of it.

"So for me it was massive to get out on loan last season."

Capello has six caps for Belize, with his first call up to the senior team coming when he was 16-years-old for a game against Cuba, although he didn't play.

His caps have come against Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Turks and Caicos, Guatemala and French Guiana in a combination of Nations League games and World Cup qualifiers.

His debut was in 2019 in-front of 22,000 fans when he started in a World Cup qualifier in Haiti.

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"It was a bit of a shock because I'd never really played in-front of that many fans before," he recalled.

"I kind of needed five minutes to get into the game. The manager was shouting to me and I couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Being the youngest on the team by far, it was definitely an experience but one that I cherished and hopefully there's many more to come.

"For me it's massive. People may think it's not the highest level but I always wanted to play for them as a kid and it's given me a lot, made me see a lot of different styles of football.

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"I've taken something out of each game I've played, which I always try to do."

Capello joined Halifax at the start of pre-season as a triallist, and was was offered a contract two weeks later when manager Chris Millington phoned him after Town's pre-season friendly at Fylde.

"It was a massive relief when I got offered the contract, because there is that uncertainty," he said.

"You want to settle down, get to know the lads properly and play your football.

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"You play your best football when you're settled and I just wanted to get settled at Halifax as quickly as possible so I could give myself the best chance of doing well for the club."

Capello says his first impressions of Halifax have been "really positive".

"I've never really been in a full-time first-team environment so for me it's a privilege, but also it's a learning curve," he said.

"The lads have been really good, they've welcomed me, the training environment's really good, we work hard on and off the pitch and the lads are a really tight group.

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"The way the manager wants to play is really suitable for me and, as a person, he's really good at man management.

"The manager's said he wants me to get on the ball in tight areas and do that bit of magic, create something out of nothing, slide players through or get a shot on target.

"He said that's why they've brought me in, to get into those tight areas and wriggle out of them, get the fans excited. That's what I want to do."

Capello, who is left-footed, says his best position is as a number ten, but that he can play on the left and the right.

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"You'll get the best out of me if I'm on the ball and that position (number ten) really suits me," he said.

"It's up to the manager where he thinks he'll get the best out of me."

The 20-year-old is confident he has what it takes to make the grade at National League level.

"It was hard in the National League North last season, but it wasn't where I wanted to be," he said.

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"I think a lot of people could see I needed to go a bit higher.

"I knew I needed to go a bit higher, that's what I aspired to do.

"I'm always confident in my abilities, so I'm confident that if I work hard enough, I could hold down a spot in the team.

"Obviously you need to get that spot first, and I need to work harder than everyone else (to get that).

"It's going to take a lot of hard work, I understand that, so I need to be patient and everyone else needs to be patient with me until I get that chance."