Academy players at Accrington Stanley, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town and Shrewsbury Town will head out to The Netherlands on Monday [1 August] as part of a pre-season trip organised by League Football Education.
By the time the trip concludes on 13 August around one hundred youth players from English clubs will have furthered their preparations for the new season by pitting their skills and wits against their peers from top Dutch clubs.
The initiative – which is fully subsidised by the Erasmus+ fund to promote development and the exchange of ideas between coaches and players in both countries – will see Accrington and Blackburn travel to NAC Breda while Blackpool and Shrewsbury are hosted by Sparta Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Ipswich will be based at ADO Den Haag in The Hague.
As part of their Dutch experience, which has been designed to broaden personal and professional horizons via a range of cultural activities, including a trip to Amsterdam, the clubs will face testing fixtures against the likes of Eredivisie giants, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and FC Twente.
Dan Jolley, Projects Manager at LFE, said: “This initiative meets the cultural and sporting aims aligned to Erasmus+ and at the same time allows around 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.”
