United Academy teams to gain overseas experience at Easter

The trips form one part of the bespoke games programme which is designed to prepare our Academy players for their senior careers in whatever way possible, including by complimenting the domestic league schedule with additional experiences in England and abroad.

With no games scheduled in Premier League 2 or the U18 Premier League this week, players in our Professional Development Phase (Under-17s to Under-21s) will travel to the South of France for training sessions and behind-closed-doors fixtures at AS Monaco and OGC Nice.

Meanwhile, other age groups will participate in competitions or in friendly games in Spain (Med Cup), the USA (MLS Cup), the Netherlands (HVV Star) and Brussels (Brussels Cup). Later in April, the Under-14s will complete a Holocaust Education Trip to Poland while another age group competes in Czechia at the Karlovy Cup.

As well as offering unique football development opportunities, these experiences are also a valuable for personal development with players and staff creating memories that last a lifetime as they engage in experiences that they may not have the chance to enjoy outside of the club.

“This is always an exciting time of the year for our young players as they get the chance to experience travelling to tournaments and fixtures together,” explains Nick Cox, Director of Academy.

“Each trip has different aims depending on the age group involved. Whether it is for cultural education, experiencing playing teams outside of our domestic games programme or learning how to represent the club abroad, our players enjoy a huge amount of personal and professional development from these opportunities.

“Our Under-14s, for example, will be continuing their education on World War Two while our Professional Development Phase group are heading to the South of France for the chance to face elite European opposition.

“At every age group, I know that each and every player will have experiences that will stand them in great stead for successful lives in football or outside of the game.”

The PDP group’s trip to the South of France follows a similar successful trip that took place in 2022, when United visited Monaco.

Once again this year, the young Reds will train at the Ligue 1 club’s facilities before coming up against Les Monegasques. They’ll then do the same at OGC Nice.

Given both clubs currently have their first teams positioned in Ligue 1's top five places, and have a rich history of developing young players, it’s a fantastic opportunity for our PDP players, just as it is for all other age groups travelling this weekend.