Last weekend, Cardiff City’s 2012 age group side travelled to the Netherlands to compete in the 2024 International Talent Tournament, hosted by SO Soest FC.
The young Bluebirds were the sole British side to compete against elite European opposition across two days, facing hosts SO Soest FC in the opening match of the tournament, Vejle Boldklub of Denmark and PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands.
Progressing from Group A, City then played against AZ Alkmaar, Club Brugge and HJK Helsinki to round off a brilliant weekend of football and an excellent learning experience for our young talents.
Gavin Chesterfield, Academy Manager, said: “We've done a lot of work to understand player journeys and what allows them to progress through the Academy system.
"We've got some of the boys embarking on working with the First Team squad, and they've all had these international experiences. It adds an enrichment to their personal Academy journey, and stretches them.
"We hope that this has been a really good experience for the group that they will learn a lot from, and hopefully they will be able to experience more like it again. We're appreciative of the ongoing support provided by the Club in making these experiences happen for our young players.
"Pre-COVID, tours were a regular occurrence, and we're happy to have them back on the agenda now. In this tournament alone they were playing against European clubs who are steeped in youth development, so our staff have benefitted as well as players through the connections made and ideas shared on this greater platform."
