Leading the Lions- An Interview with England Skipper Oliver Kaye

Oliver Kaye holds one of the most incredible CVs in student sport,having captained his country at two major tournaments, the Maccabiah games in Israel in the summer of 2022, and serving as England captain at the Under-19 Euros earlier this year in Italy.

He currently plays for the University of East Anglia futsal team at BUCS level (the top division for university futsal) and has had a flying start, scoring a hattrick today in a 10-0 demolition over Leicester, and providing two assists in last week’s successful win over Nottingham.

Kaye originally began playing futsal at a young age, originally playing alongside football until just before lockdown, before deciding to switch permanently. When asked about how it felt to represent England earlier this year, he said that “the whole experience and environment…the whole environment of being in an England camp…constantly analysing, constantly recovering”, aspiring to represent his country again soon. Although he may not have an upcoming tournament, Kaye still participates in England camps at St George’s Park with other England football teams.

As for representing the Jewish community, Kaye says that playing at the highest level is “representing what Jewish people can do at that stage”, citing it as an important factor when playing futsal, and having experienced some antisemitism previously. If his season at UEA continues the way it has started, then Kaye will be well on track to achieve his aspiration for the season, to put a mark on futsal across the country.