Singapore’s most talented youth footballers will take on the U19 teams from a trio of European footballing giants in the inaugural NexLions Cup to be held on 14th and 16th December, it was announced today.
Asian football fans will be able to witness the next generation of football superstars showcasing their skills and fancy footwork right here in the Lion City as the youth sides of English powerhouses Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as Sporting Lisbon of Portugal will feature in the quadrangular to be held at the Jalan Besar Stadium, along with the crème de la crème of Singapore’s youth footballers.
A joint initiative between the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Kirkwall Sports Pte Ltd, who are exclusive partners of Manchester United Soccer Schools and Sporting Lisbon Academy in South East Asia, the NexLions Cup will fill a gap in the local football calendar.
Local fans of Liverpool FC would already be familiar with the names of 17 years old winger, Raheem Sterling, Spaniard midfielder, Suso (18 years old) and defender, Andre Wisdom (19 years old), who have all broken into the first team at Anfield this season after impressing in the NexGen Series, a UEFA club cup tournament involving Under-19 teams, last season.
While those three players are now part of the first team set-up at Liverpool and are unlikely to make the trip here, the English giants are likely to bring 16 years old, Jerome Sinclair, who recently became the youngest-ever player to make a first team appearance for the Merseyside club when he was brought on as a substitute against West Bromwich Albion in the Capital One League Cup.
Meanwhile fans of Portuguese side, Sporting Lisbon, will be able to get a glimpse of the next wave of talents coming through the club’s renowned academy conveyor belt, which has churned out world-class wingers like Luis Figo and current superstars like Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United’s Nani.
Arguably the world’s most popular club, Manchester United, will showcase the latest of Fergie’s Fledglings who hope to eventually break through into the Red Devils’ first team, joining the likes of fellow academy graduates like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes to the more recent ones like Johnny Evans, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck.
Kirkwall Sports Pte Ltd Executive Director, Mr Abdur Raheem, said,“It is of utmost importance that we continue to help develop footballers from a young age and give them the chance to showcase their talents in a competitive arena. The NexLions Cup is the perfect platform for the Singapore youngsters to put on a show while the European teams will definitely put a fight and show just why European football is at a high standard.”
Mr Zainudin Nordin, FAS President, concurs and added,“The Football Association of Singapore has a great tradition of producing technically good footballers through our National Football Academy and other youth development initiatives. With the NexLions Cup starting this year, it allows the youngsters another global platform to bring their ‘A’ game forward and experience what it is like to be up against quality opposition like Liverpool, Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon.”
Tickets starting at just $12 are available at Ticketbooth outlets and online (www.ticketbooth.com.sg) from 1 November. Early bird discounts are available from 1 Nov ember – 7 December 2012. Concessions are also available for students and senior citizens.
The draws are as follows:
- Manchester United vs. Sporting Lisbon
- Liverpool vs .Singapore
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