Fleetwood Town under 14’s have returned from a successful six-day trip to Iceland where they competed in the prestigious Rey Cup.
Led by youth development lead stage coach Simon Wiles, Town’s youngsters came third in the competition, against much older and physically strong sides.
“The competition itself was fantastic for the boys. We played a variety of different teams with different styles which was a really good learning curve.”
The side flew from Manchester to Reykjavik last Wednesday, and spent five nights in the Icelandic capital and took part in a variety of activities off the field too.
“There was an Olympic style Opening Ceremony which was great! On the other nights there was a Pool Party, Disco and BBQ which was all part of the great experience for the group. As a club we were really grateful we could take part in the competition.”
Currently the academy train three times a week, so the opportunity for the squad to get away and bond as a team was one that couldn’t be turned down.
“We’ve got some real characters and it’s been massive for the character building. It’s a real good opportunity for the lads to develop on the pitch because, yes we took our under-13s which were quite a young age group considering the competition was the January to January birthday so we just took our own thirteens so they were coming up against some 14 year old boys who were a lot bigger.
“I think the kids have taken a lot from the trip.”