Town's U15s will once again be taking part in the Umbro Galway Cup this August. Last year the Blues reached the semi-finals of the tournament.

The competition will be played at the Drom, home of Salthill Devon, the west of Ireland club where Alan Lee's father Harry played.

Tournament director Philip Bradley says Town's involvement has helped them attract better teams this time around, with Aberdeen, Leeds United, Charlton Athletic, Leicester City and Celtic all sending sides: “We have a very strong line up of teams confirmed for the elite competition, which is fantastic for the Umbro Galway Cup as it's only in its third year.

"The main goal is to have a quality tournament. It is not the number of teams that really interests us, it is making sure that the elite matches are of a very high standard.

“It can be difficult to attract teams. They have so many attractions and they are invited all over Europe. At times it can be hard to convince the managers to come to the west of Ireland. But last year Ipswich Town had a good experience here. The Ipswich academy manager [Tony Humes] recommended it to others who have decided to come along.”

The Umbro Galway Cup runs from August 7th to 11th.

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