Young Lions Watch: Aston Villa under-19s invited to participate in CEE Cup
Aston Villa have been invited to participate in the CEE Cup, an intercontinental youth tournament taking place this summer.
The latest edition of the tournament has faced a near-three-year delay due to the pandemic, but it is set to return this summer.
Villa will be taking part in the tournament for the first time after their invitation was confirmed via the competition’s website.
The CEE Cup is held in Prague, with both Sparta and Slavia Prague taking part alongside two European teams and two from Central or South America.
Villa will compete with Slavia Prague and Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv in their group, with Sparta Prague facing off against Palmeiras and CD Tigres in the other group.
Another testament to the growth of Villa’s academy
The CEE Cup might sound unfamiliar to most fans, but it has seen the rise of several bright young stars in recent years.
West Ham favourite Tomas Soucek, Burnley winger Dwight McNeill and Everton starlet Anthony Gordon all captured headlines at the tournament and went on to star at senior level.
Villa have a history of success in international youth tournaments, in particular the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens.
The club won the seven-a-side tournament five times, most recently in 2017, which gave the likes of Barry Bannan the chance to make an impression.
Perhaps their crowning achievement at youth level was winning the 2013 NextGen Series tournament, beating the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal to the title.
The team that won the NextGen Series included Jack Grealish, Jordan Graham and Callum Robinson, all of whom had successful careers at senior level.
Villa’s current Under-19s squad could include the likes of Josh Feeney, Tommi O’Reilly and Ajani Burchall, all of whom have spent time in senior football already.
The club have already been well-represented this summer at the Under-19s European Championships, but success in Prague would be the highlight for the Young Lions.
In other Aston Villa news, the club has shared an exciting update on the planned redevelopment of Villa Park.