Cork Youth Soccer squad sees seven clubs represented after 60 players featured in trials

The Cork Youth team begin their Munster Inter-League campaign this Saturday when they play Limerick Desmond League at Ringmahon Park at 1pm. 

In the coming weeks face representative teams from Kerry, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford, who beat them in last year’s Munster final at Cahir Park. They will be hoping that they will progress further this year and represent the Cork in the FAI Inter-League competition.

It is always an honour to represent Cork no matter what sport is and playing for the Cork Youth League is no different for some of the lads that made this years squad.

"I'm delighted with the opportunity to be on the Cork U18 squad. My goal is to improve get as much game time as I can and go the whole way to an all-Ireland. We have a fantastic set-up with great coaches and a very good competitive panel and I'm really looking forward to the challenge ahead,” Dylan McCarthy from Douglas Hall said.

For Connor Gardiner from College Corinthians: "It’s a great feeling to be selected for the Cork team again this season and to have the chance to wear the Cork jersey after just falling short last year. 

I've played with and against all these lads throughout the years so I’ve no doubt that with the quality of players and the hunger we all have alongside the quality of coaches with us, the cup is coming back to Cork this year."

“I am honoured to be representing my county and doing my club and my family proud, there's no reason why we can't go all the way and win it and that's what we'll be aiming to do without a doubt," explained Colm Harte from Carrigtwohill United.

Karim Fonseca, who plays with Lakewood Athletic, is originally from Portugal.

"I'm really excited to get to play with the Cork team this year. This is a huge honour for me personally to represent the league and my club Lakewood Athletic. 

"We have some amazing players throughout the squad and we all get on really well and the management team are also excellent. Our training has gone very well and I hope that I can help the team in any way to reach our goals.”

Louis Nolan and his management team have been very busy in the last month, going to numerous games to see different players. 

They then invited over 60 players from 20 different clubs across the city and county before they selected their squad, after three rounds of trials. They also played a game against the Lakewood Athletic senior side. 

"That was very beneficial for both teams and we will be looking to play more games like that over the coming weeks and months to give the team more familiarity and us a chance to gel," said Nolan.

“Our management team this year includes Lenny Forde, James McDonnell, Luke Noonan, Eoghan Walsh and Finbarr Lynch and I’m so grateful to all of them as they put in endless hours of work to improve the team. All the lads have different strengths and qualities and attention to detail is second than none, which is a real benefit to the team and myself.

"Training has gone brilliantly so far; the lads are really buying into what we are trying to accomplish and there's a great buzz around. 

Everyone is looking sharp and the competition for places is intense ahead of our first outing against Limerick this Saturday at Ringmahon Park.

"We sat down as a team last week and spoke about our expectations and goals for every game so everyone is on the same page, and we will all work hard as a team work together to try to reach those goals."

The Cork Youth panel: 

Cillian Beale-O'Shaughnessy (Carrigaline United), 

Colm Harte, Rollie Durango (Carrigtwohill United), 

Kyle O'Callaghan, Dylan O'Sullivan, Kai O'Neill, Daniel Mellerick, Ty Corcoran, Keelan Crowe, Joe Mouret, Padraig McGrath, Sam Dow, Connor Gardiner, Billy Higgins (College Corinthians), 

Evan Cummins, Finn Hagermark, Dylan McCarthy, Hordii Kirian (Douglas Hall), 

Karim Fonseca (Lakewood Athletic), 

Kian Lane (Mayfield United), 

Ruairi Jeffers, Liam Lynch, Luke McDonnell (Midleton).