There were four Academy prospects in international action during April.
Cole Smyth and Emmett Morrison – Northern Ireland Under-15s
Cole Smyth and Emmett Morrison represented Northern Ireland Under-15s in two friendly matches against France at Clairefontaine, the French Football Federation’s national training centre.
Despite performing well, Kris Lindsay’s side tasted defeat in both games, with both Cole and Emmett starting in one game each.
However, the experience gained from facing high-quality opposition at such a prestigious venue will undoubtedly benefit them as they prepare for the upcoming Victory Shield, the international schoolboys’ football competition, which takes place later this year.
Results of the games:
- France Under-15s 2-0 Northern Ireland U15s – Wednesday, April 17 – International Friendly
- France Under-15s 3-0 Northern Ireland U15s – Friday, April 19 – International Friendly
Callum Downey and Glenn McCourt – Northern Ireland Under-16s
Meanwhile, at Under-16 level, Callum Downey and Glenn McCourt were part of the Northern Ireland Under-16 squad that competed in the UEFA U16 Development Tournament in Estonia.
Callum started both games against Ukraine and Estonia. He picked up the Man of the Match Award for his superb performance in the opening game against Ukraine, where he also converted a penalty in the shootout win.
Glenn, on the other hand, made appearances as a substitute against Ukraine and Estonia and started the match against Luxembourg, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 victory over the hosts Estonia. (see video below).
Northern Ireland finished second overall in the tournament, finishing behind Ukraine, who pipped them by a point.
Here are the results:
- Ukraine Under-16s 2-2 (6-7 pens) Northern Ireland U16s – Tuesday, April 23 – UEFA Development Tournament
- Luxembourg Under-16s 2-2 (3-2 pens) Northern Ireland U16s – Thursday, April 25 – UEFA Development Tournament
- Estonia Under-16s 0-2 Northern Ireland U16s – Sunday, April 28 – UEFA Development Tournament
The Jungle View 