Six Bluebirds selected for Wales U16 squad
Six members of the Cardiff City Academy have been named in Wales' U16 squad for the UEFA Development Tournament, which takes place in North Wales this month.
Charlie Crew, Dylan Lawlor, Luey Giles, Gabriele Bianchieri, Ronan Kpakio and Troy Perrett have been selected to represent Wales in the Tournament, which is being hosted by the FAW from April 9th to April 14th.
During the Tournament, Wales will come up against Brazil, Turkey and Spain, offering a fantastic opportunity for our young Bluebirds to compete against some of the brightest emerging talents from around the world.
Having impressed frequently at U16 level this term, youngsters Crew, Lawlor and Giles have all made the step up to feature in the Bluebirds' U18 team this season.
On Saturday, young attacker Crew featured for the U18s in a 5-1 win over Crewe Alexandra, with fellow striker Bianchieri coming off the bench to score the fifth goal for the Bluebirds in a comprehensive victory on his U18s debut.
U18 | What a finish this was from young #Bluebird Gabriele Biancheri! 💙
— Cardiff City Academy (@CF11Academy) April 6, 2022
📺 Watch the highlights from Saturday's 5-1 victory on @CardiffCityTV!#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/eLQqa5cJpG
Head of Academy, David Hughes, commented: "Experiencing international development football adds a different and unique perspective to player development. It may be understanding different cultures, preparing and recovering with little time between games, and considering how to influence new team mates and coaches; all of which provide an invaluable learning environment.
"This weekend we will have six schoolboys in the Wales U16 squad to face Brazil, before games against Turkey and Spain. The opportunity to play against Brazil at any age is something to be rightly excited by. A huge well done and good luck to Charlie, Dylan, Luey, Gabriele, Ronan and Troy, along with all of the the Football Association of Wales staff this week."
David also expressed his delight at seeing a number of our Academy players featuring for their national teams across a range of different age groups during the recent international break.
"James Crole scored his first goal for Wales U18 vs. Finland U18 recently, and is one of many such examples. Ollie Denham, Isaak Davies, George Ratcliffe, and Eli King had a valuable experience with Wales U21s, with Morgan Wigley, Joel Colwill, Japhet Mpadi, Cole Zavier and Charlie Crew being others who were afforded the platform at U18 level during the last international break.
“Having individuals travel away consistently across the international age groups is something we are really proud of, with an appreciation of the positive impact these opportunities can have on learning and development”.
