PGFC Academy trio Liam Armstrong, Alex Bolton and Max Naylor have been named in the Australia Under-17s squad which will take on the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Under-19 Men’s Teams in next month’s PacificAus Sports Football Tour.
The youngsters will face the Solomon Islands twice, on Thursday 15 August (3pm WST) and Sunday 18 August (4pm WST), before meeting Vanuatu on Wednesday 21 August (12pm WST), with all three games taking place at the National Stadium in the capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara.
The fixtures will form a key part of the Joeys’ ongoing preparations for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2025 Qualifiers which are scheduled to get underway in October.
Head Coach and former Glory midfielder, Brad Maloney, is looking forward to running the rule over his young charges in what is likely to be a challenging environment.
“We had a fantastic tournament in Indonesia and the players involved were so deserving of that result; I was really proud of the work and effort they all put in,” he said.
“When looking to the Qualifiers in October, I wanted to give a core group of that existing squad the chance to experience more time on the road as a collective, in different conditions and against older opposition.
“It’s equally important we find ways to integrate new players who are impressing with their club or academy and I saw several players at the National Youth Championships whom I felt deserved this opportunity.
“They’ll now get some invaluable international exposure to support their ongoing development, which equally gives them a chance for selection as we continue down our qualification path.”
Defender Armstrong (formerly of Murdoch Universit Melville FC), midfielder Bolton (formerly of Bayswater City) and forward Naylor (formerly of UWA Nedlands FC) have been standout performers for the PGFC Academy in this year’s NPL WA.
Naylor has taken his tally for the Under-18s this season to 11 by scoring four times in Glory’s last two games.
Broadcast information for the three Joeys fixtures will be released shortly.
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