Latest news with #Under-17
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'To this day one of the best moments I've ever had' - Stephen Kelly and Richie Towell go down an Ireland youth nostalgia trip
This is a big year for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s. In November, they will feature at the World Cup where they have been drawn in an eclectic group alongside Panama, Uzbekistan and Paraguay. Preparation for the tournament, which has been expanded to 48 teams and will be held in Qatar, revved up this month as Colin O'Brien's side took on the Under-18s from Norway, Turkey and Croatia in friendlies. The first two of those ended in defeats (4-1 and 2-0 respectively) but on Monday, goals from Rory Finneran, Jaden Umeh and Shamrock Rovers striker Michael Noonan fired the Boys in Green to a 3-0 victory in Croatia to end the window on a high note. There is plenty of talent in the squad, with the aforementioned trio as well as Noonan's Arsenal-linked Rovers team-mate Victor Ozhianvuna and Dundalk defender Vincent Leonard in the latest squad. The one complication for head coach O'Brien to navigate in the autumn will be the fact that the tournament will fall outside of a FIFA window, which means clubs would not be obligated to release players. The timing of the competition also coincides with the climax of the Irish domestic season and with youth very much to the fore, including at the leading clubs, there could be a dilemma or two. However, former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Richie Towell, who represented Ireland at the Under-17 European Championships in 2008, is unequivocal about whether club or country should come first for the current crop of youngsters when it comes to the World Cup. "The clubs have to let the players go," he said on this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast as he and former Ireland senior and Tottenham Hotspur defender Stephen Kelly reminisced about their major tournament memories at underage level for the Boys in Green. "As Stephen will tell you, for any Shamrock Rovers player to go and - no disrespect - to play against a Drogheda, or a Derry, or whoever it is for the last two or three games of the season, they need to go and play in a World Cup for Ireland. That's 100% more important. Most definitely." Kelly recalled being in a similar boat in 2003 when Ireland had qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championships - equivalent to the modern day Under-20 World Cup. Already on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, he was adamant that he would go the UAE to play alongside fellow future senior internationals like Stephen Elliott, Kevin Doyle, Glenn Whelan and Keith Fahey. "The World Cup came around and it was played in Abu Dhabi, so it was played in October, so middle of the season and I was on loan at Watford in the Championship at the time from Spurs," he said. "And they were like, 'You're not going (to the World Cup)'. And I'm like, 'I am going, I'm 100% going'. There's no way I'm missing out on this, to play at a World Cup. "There was one player that didn't go, Sean Thornton. He was at Sunderland at the time and he said he was going to stay at his club. "But for the rest of us, it was 'no chance, we're not missing this'. It's a World Cup and I never got to another one." That Boys in Green side managed to top their group and get to the knockout stage in the UAE, with Kelly scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico. But beyond the results, it's the lifetime bonds that he has with those team-mates like Doyle, Whelan etc that remain most cherished. "They were the best times. It was so much fun. It was just hilarious," he said, adding that the memories were sprung back again last Friday at the Aviva Stadium when he bumped into Ireland senior coach Paddy McCarthy, who was one of his defensive partners in the youth ranks. "You have a special bond with them and you know them inside out. They're great times, they really are great times and you need to cherish them. "And if you can grow together and move on together where you end up in the senior team, it does create a little bit of cohesion and a connection that helps the senior team because you understand each other." While Kelly ended up playing 39 times for Ireland and also captained his country in a 2011 friendly against Uruguay, arguably his fondest memory in green dates back to his time in the Under-19s when he scored the winner against England at the 2002 European Championships, capping a comeback from 2-0 down against a side with numerous future Premier League stalwarts. "It's still to this day one of the best moments I've ever had in football which is crazy because it's a youth level," he said. "But we're Irish. Scoring a goal against England is like everything you dream of and I was in England at the time with Spurs. "We were 2-0 and I remember at half-time, the team talk Brian Kerr gave us, it was like tears in the eyes. I can't actually say what he said because we'd probably get in trouble but tears in your eyes stuff. "And the range of lunatics after half time, I'm not joking, it was unbelievable. "(My goal) was edge of the box, ball dropped in, I got up a looping header and it lobbed the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. I don't know how it went in and we just went mental. It was unbelievable." Towell, meanwhile, experienced the 2008 Euros for the Under-17s where he featured in a proverbial group of death against Switzerland and a Spain side which had Thiago Alcantara in it. Similarly to Kelly, he found his time at the tournament in Turkey to be a bonding experience in a side with future senior internationals Robbie Brady - still going strong as the newly-crowned FAI Men's Player of the Year - Conor Hourihane and Galway United captain Greg Cunningham. "You go away and you're playing with your mates. I knew all the lads that you mentioned. I'd known Robbie for years and years... Conor Clifford, players like this," he said. "So to go and literally play with your mates and test yourself against the best players in the world at that time, at that age, it was absolutely incredible."
Evening Standard
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Who is Mamadou Sarr? Why Chelsea FC fans should be excited about 'scary' new signing
Sarr is an Under-20 French international, and has made two appearances for the side. Before that, he had played 30 times moving up the age groups, from Under-17s to Under-19s, and he played four of France's six games as they won the Under-17 European Championships in 2022.
The South African
30-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
BREAKING: Bafana starlet wanted by London giants Chelsea!
Bafana and Cape Town City youngster Emile Witbooi has piqued the interest of Premier League giants Chelsea, who have invited the 16-year-old phenom for a second assessment. 'Chelsea have made enquiries if he can go back for further training and assessment,' an inside source revealed. 'It's believed that they are looking at integrating him into their Under-18 team so that he can move through the ranks as he grows. It's believed that they were impressed when he was last there and they have been keeping tabs on his progress and that's why they still need him.' However, another source believes Chelsea's verdict on the Bafana prospect will come after the upcoming U-17 World Cup in Qatar, scheduled from November 3 to 27. 'I don't think even if Cape Town City want him to go it could be now or soon as they are still monitoring other interest from Europe as well. They are believed to want to see what will happen at the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Though at the moment Chelsea are in the forefront,' the second insider revealed. Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana's senior team is gearing up for next weeks international friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique. Bafana broos named his squad for the upcoming fixtures, which features no Kaizer Chiefs players: Goalkeepers: Renaldo Leaner, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine Defenders: Sydney Mobbie, Samukelo Kabini, Thabo Moloisane, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khulumani Ndamane, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Deano van Rooyen, Fawaaz Basadien Midfielders: Luke le Roux, Thalente Mbatha, Ndamlulelo Maphangule, Simphiwe Selepe Forwards: Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Ashley Cupido, Relebohile Mofokeng, Tshepang Moremi, Yanela Mbuthuma, Mohau Nkota, Sinoxolo Kwayiba Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wilson bounces back to the NBL after AFL stint
Melbourne United have added another piece to their roster for the upcoming NBL season with the addition of former AFL player Tom Wilson. Wilson, who played eight AFL games for Collingwood, returned to basketball full-time in the second-tier NBL1 last year. The 27-year-old has since re-established himself as a dangerous scoring guard. He returns to the NBL with Melbourne on a one-season deal, having previously played for the Sydney Kings during the 2018-19 season. "It's super exciting, it feels like a dream come true," Wilson said. "I feel really privileged. It's not an opportunity that a lot of people get. "I'm excited about the basketball player I can become with this team. "I think the experiences I've had in basketball and in footy are only going to help me moving forward." Wilson has represented Australia at multiple levels, notably leading the country to a silver medal at the 2014 Under-17 FIBA World Championship. He also twice suited up for the Boomers during the 2019 Asia Cup Qualifiers. Wilson joins a Melbourne team seeking to remain in title contention despite the loss of NBA championship winners Matthew Dellavedova and Jack White. Chris Goulding, Shea Ili, Tanner Krebs, Kyle Bowen, Fabijan Krslovic and Next Star signing Dash Daniels are also on United's roster for next season. Melbourne have been runners-up in the last two NBL seasons under long-time coach Dean Vickerman, losing championship series to Illawarra and Tasmania. The 2025-26 NBL season tips off in September.
Khaleej Times
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
UAE qualifies for Fifa U-17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar
The U-17 national team from the UAE has qualified for the Fifa U-17 World Cup 2025, which is set to be held in Qatar. The Chairman of Dubai Sport Council, Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed, took to X to congratulate the team for the qualification. He said, "We congratulate the UAE U-17 national team on qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025. We also congratulate the technical and administrative staff on this qualification." He also extended thank to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Football Association, "for his support and patronage of these promising talents." The Chairman also added: "We wish the U-17 team and our national teams success in representing the country in an honorable manner in continental and international competitions." The Fifa Under-17 World Cup will be held annually instead of biennially, with five editions from 2025 to take place in Qatar, world soccer's governing body said last year. Like the senior men's World Cup, the Under-17 tournament will be expanded to 48 teams, Fifa added. The women's Under-17 World Cup will also be played annually from 2025, with Morocco hosting an expanded 24-team event until 2029. The 2022 edition had 16 teams.
