Under-23s help school children prepare for national tournament

Our Under-23 players have today (Friday 3 May) helped local school children prepare to represent the Club at this year’s Premier League Schools Tournament, which is being held at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium on Tuesday 21 May.

An Under-11 girls team from Greenleaf Primary School and an Under-11 boys team from Raglan Primary School will wear official Club kit as they take their place in the tournament alongside 40 other teams representing 20 clubs from the Premier League.

Development Squad stars Brandon Austin, Jonathan De Bie, Jonathan Dinzeyi, Tariq Hinds, Jack Roles and Shilow Tracey gave some top tips to the players, including the importance of resting the night before a game, having a nutritional pre-match meal, overcoming the pre-match nerves and working as a team on the pitch. Spurs Ladies star Jess Naz was also involved in the session in a coaching capacity.

Over 600 young people from 77 schools competed for a place in the finals after taking part in a series of heats hosted by their local Premier League club. Following the group stages, the tournament will take on a knockout format with the Premier League Schools Tournament champions being crowned and presented with a replica Premier League trophy.

All the students participating at the finals will receive an authentic Premier League experience – wearing their local team’s kit, using the dressing rooms at Molineux, walking out of the tunnel to the Premier League anthem and even having their matches refereed by Premier League match officials.

Midfielder Jack Roles said: “It’s been a great experience helping the girls and boys prepare for the Premier League Schools Tournament. It’s obvious that they have been working hard and putting a lot of practice in, so I am sure they will do well on the day. One of the most important things about football is to have fun, so I would encourage them to enjoy the experience!”