Seven Irish League clubs on show in Northern Ireland's Victory Shield squad for Scotland
Northern Ireland’s latest bid for a third Victory Shield title triumph will kick off today in Wales.
Under 16s head coach Kris Lindsay, a former Irish League player and manager, has selected a 20-strong squad for the three-game schedule as Northern Ireland bid to build on past schoolboys glory over the 2000/01 and 2018/19 campaigns under the format established in the 1940s.
Northern Ireland start this afternoon against Wales (kick-off 3.30pm) before facing hosts Scotland on Thursday (11.30am) and wrapping up on Sunday by meeting holders Republic of Ireland (11.30am) – with every game staged at Broadwood Stadium.
The panel recently featured under Lindsay across a three-team tournament in Estonia.
The Victory Shield was first presented to the Schools’ Association Football International Board in 1947 to mark the Allies’ World War II triumph.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Michael Doherty (Dungannon Swifts), Cole Smyth (Derry City), Sean Cassidy (Cliftonville), Paul Stanfield (Cliftonville), Charlie Campbell (Glentoran), Adam Dolan (Glentoran), Calum Anderson (Linfield), Sonny Trainor (Linfield), Calum Woods (Dundalk), Finlay Ross (Linfield), Jay Longridge (Linfield), Caleb Sweeney (Larne), Emmett Morrison (Cliftonville), Harry Gough (Glenavon), Freddie Murdock (Everton), Eamonn Tohill (Cliftonville), Coran Madden (Cliftonville), Jack May (Linfield), Joel Kerr (Glentoran), Luke Hawe (Ballymena United).