United Under-18s to participate in prestigious Northern Ireland tournament
Manchester United will once again make our annual trip across the Irish Sea this summer, as our Under-18s participate in an exciting four-team tournament at the prestigious SuperCupNI.
The Old Trafford youngsters are regular visitors to Northern Ireland and this summer the Under-18s will take part in a four-team round-robin tournament that includes Premier League rivals Liverpool, as well as La Liga side Valencia and German outfit Hertha Berlin.
This one-off section has been organised to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tournament, which first started in 1983. Founder and chairperson Victor Leonard said the support they have received from Manchester United over the years is something the organisers treasure dearly.
“The late Bertie Peacock was the first person from our organising committee to touch base with Manchester United and Bertie was able to convince Sir Alex Ferguson that the tournament would be one that would greatly benefit his young players!
“Sir Alex has been a very good friend to the tournament, and he has attended a number of tournaments and over the years we have developed some lifelong friendships with staff at Old Trafford.
“That strong relationship has remained steadfast for over four decades and we are absolutely delighted to have Manchester United participating in what should be a prestigious tournament.”
Manchester United have a significant fanbase in Northern Ireland and over the years supporters have been able to watch future United stars such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay all shine in Northern Ireland.
United are also in action in the Premier (U16) section and we will take on local opposition from County Fermanagh, Dundalk Schoolboys League from the Republic of Ireland and Japanese side Ichifuna.
We will kick off our Elite U18 section with a match against Hertha Berlin in Coleraine on Monday 24 July. After one rest day, our Under-18s will return to Coleraine Showgrounds for a mouth-watering fixture against Liverpool before concluding the visit to Northern Ireland with an intriguing clash against Valencia on Friday 28 July.
Ticketing details for the Elite matches will be released in the coming weeks, with the 2023 tournament kicking off on Sunday 23 July with the welcoming ceremony in Coleraine.
It concludes with finals day and the final set of Elite fixtures on Friday 28 July.