The two full football and residential scholarships will see the pair attend Scots College in Wellington and attend the Academy, giving the pair an early insight into life as a professional footballer.
Wellington Phoenix general mamager David Dome says the partnership with Reid had its genesis in the 2014 Football United Tour.
“When Winston was here with West Ham in July last year he expressed an interest in giving something back and helping promising New Zealand football talent,” Dome says.
“Sapreet and Max are both outstanding talents and have been part of our Wellington Phoenix Soccer School in Auckland. Both were also part of the Fiji Airways Fiji pre-season tour where they really impressed – so much so that both players got game time with the first team.
“If we find the next Winston Reid out of all this then we’d all be really happy!”
For Reid, the chance to offer something to aspiring footballers is an opportunity he didn’t want to miss.
“I am very proud of my heritage and country of birth,” the All Whites captain says.
“I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I’ve also been blessed in my career and this is in a small way my chacne to give something back. I want to encourage and give a bit of a hand to thse football players who don’t have too much and need a little bit of assistance along the way.
“I hope there’s a lot more young players in the next generation who will come over here and succeed and hopefully do better than I’ve done and maybe even push on to a higher level.”
Singh, 16, an attacking midfielder who made his New Zealand debut with the U-17 side at the OFC U-17 Championship in January which was attended by Phoenix head coach Ernie Merrick, dreams of a professional contract and sees this as one step in the journey.
“We get to train with the first team occasionally, and you can never get training as good as that anywhere else in the country, so it’s a good start,” he says.
“It’s amazing to be lucky enough to be given this opportunity. Hopefully I can make the most of it one day and become pro, I’ve just got to put in the hard work now.
For Mata, 15, it’s an exciting opportunity he’s excited to get underway.
“It’s another journey, a new journey. I’m really excited, thankful and proud and I can’t wait to get working.”
For more on the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy visit www.wellingtonphoenix.com