Newport County AFC U18s are one of eight EFL teams taking the trip to The Netherlands this summer as they continue to develop their skills and work towards becoming the next generation of County Footballers.
Academy players at eight English Football League clubs will travel to The Netherlands tomorrow as part of a two week pre-season trip organised by League Football Education.
This is the first time that the Academy has been successful in obtaining an Erasmus funded tour through the LFE.
County's U18s will join almost 150 Under-18 players from Birmingham City, Crewe Alexandra, Grimsby Town, Leeds United, Portsmouth, Rochdale and Sheffield United as the Club's step up their preparations for the new season by taking on their peers at top Dutch clubs.
The initiative – fully subsidised by the Erasmus+ fund – promotes development and facilitates the exchange of skills and ideas between coaches and players in both countries. During the two-week trip, our Academy (along with U18s from League Two rivals Crewe Alexandra) will be staying with Eredivisie side FC Groningen. Meanwhile, Leeds and Sheffield United will be hosted by FC Twente, Birmingham and Rochdale will travel to VVV Venlo, and Portsmouth and Grimsby will be based at FC Emmen.
The Dutch experience has been designed to broaden personal and professional horizons, with the players scheduled to take part in a range of cultural activities. These include language lessons, a visit to the Overloon War Museum and a trip to Amsterdam city centre, as well as footgolf, an Amsterdam Arena tour and tickets to watch Eredivisie champions PSV play against KNVB Cup winners Feyenoord in the Johan Cruyff Shield, held at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven.
On the pitch, the clubs will experience training sessions led by the European coaches to prepare for testing fixtures against Eredivisie clubs like AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord and Vitesse, while certain clubs will also take on German and Belgium opposition in Arminia Bielefeld and KAA Gent.
Newport County AFC's Fixtures
KV Mechelen vs. Newport County AFC
FC Dordrecht vs. Newport County AFC
Go Ahead Eagles vs. Newport County AFC
Newport County AFC vs. Leeds United
Willem II vs. Newport County AFC
LFE Project Manager Dan Jolley said: “This initiative meets the cultural and sporting aims aligned to Erasmus+ and at the same time allows over one-hundred players in the English academy system the opportunity to sample life, training and work in another European nation.
“Many of them will experience playing against continental opposition for the first time. Learning about different styles of play, coaching and tactics can only help them become better players.
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