A Northern Ireland Under-16 team are off to Finland next week to take part in an international tournament.
The Four Nations Tournament will feature the Finns, Iceland, Estonia and Northern Ireland. It is being staged at the Eerikkilä Sport and Outdoor Resort in southern Finland.
Northern Ireland U16s head coach Kris Lindsay has included seven new players in the 23-strong U16 panel from the 22-man squad that won the inaugural Gary Speed Cup in Wales last month.
Joining the squad are Ballymena United goalkeeper Luke Bellingham, Derry City defender Darryl Meenan, Crusaders defender Daithi Holleran, Glentoran defender Dan Patterson, Glenavon midfielder Brayden McNally, Finn Harps midfielder Lukas Doherty and Cliftonville attacker Padai O’Kane.
Not included this time are Larne goalkeeper Phoenix Blayney, Larne defender Alfie Mulvenna, Dungannon Swifts defender Daniel McCarron, Glentoran midfielder Adam Nelson, Coleraine midfielder Conor Wilson and Derry City midfielder Liam Kelly.
Game number one for the U16s is against Finland next Tuesday (23 September; 17.30 kick-off local time), while matchday two is next Wednesday (24 September) when they will face Iceland (13.00 start).
Their final game is on Friday 26 September against Estonia. That match is due to kick off at 10am local time.
Lindsay’s squad is largely made up of players who attend the Irish FA JD Academy.
The U16s head coach said: “We are looking forward to travelling to Finland for the Four Nations Tournament. With Iceland taking part this year we will have three competitive games to test our young players in an outstanding environment in Eerikkilä.
“This is another step in the development of our young players with more exposure to international football and the demands that it brings.
“There are several changes to the squad that was successful in the Gary Speed Cup at the end of August. This provides the new faces with an opportunity to demonstrate their talents on the international stage, highlighting the good work being done within the Irish FA JD National Academy and our local clubs.”
The Northern Ireland U16s squad for the Four Nations Tournament in Finland features:
Goalkeepers – Matthew Belshaw (Glentoran), Luke Bellingham (Ballymena United).
Defenders - Dan Patterson, Rory Prenter and Preston McKeown (all Glentoran), Cohen Ennis and Daithi Holleran (both Crusaders), Jude Crawford (Larne), Darryl Meenan (Derry City), Alfie Pollock (Glenavon).
Midfielders – Bailey Magee, Jayden Doyle and Brayden McNally (all Glenavon), Lukas Doherty (Finn Harps), Cillian Murray (Cliftonville).
Forwards – Jay Forsythe and Mason Ayre (both Glentoran), Harry Hughes (Tottenham Hotspur), Padai O’Kane (Cliftonville), Odhran McHugh (Finn Harps), Rocco Devlin (Dungannon Swifts), Michael Mulholland (Crusaders), Noah Vaugh (St Mirren).
Image: Alfie Pollock, seen here in action for the U16s at the Gary Speed Cup in Wales, is part of the 23-strong squad bound for Finland next week.
