An academy side made up of players from the U11s, U12s and U13s reached the last eight of the MagiCup, which was played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida last week.

The Blues, the first Town squad to visit the US since the takeover five years ago, finished as the highest-placed English team in their first appearance at the prestigious tournament.

On the opening day of four, the Blues beat their counterparts from Champions League winners PSG 4-0, then defeated Argentinian side Fundación Pupi 12-1 and Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara 4-1 to go through to a second group stage.

A 4-2 win over Inter Miami followed, before an 11-1 loss to eventual champions River Plate. However, the youngsters bounced back from that disappointment to beat Chelsea 2-1 to go through to the last eight.

But Portuguese giants Benfica proved too strong in a tightly fought contest, running out 3-2 victors over Town. Subsequently, the Blues were beaten narrowly by Leoni Di Potrero Italia and AS Roma in exhibition matches.

In addition to the football, the squad visited all of the Disney parks and met football legends Rivaldo, Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso.

“It's been a really valuable experience both in performances on the pitch and in behaviours and performances away from the pitch,” Coach development manager Steven Bartlett told TownTV.

“It's all part of the journey, all part of the experience that we want the players to have. We had some expectations when we were coming out here and I think on the pitch we have surpassed what those expectations were.”

Academy manager Ben Chenery added: “The MagiCup tournament allowed both players and staff to experience a prestigious tournament against some of the best academies from around the world.

“It’s a testament to the football club and academy’s upwards trajectory to be attending tournaments of this calibre.

“It has also allowed the players to experience all that Orlando has to offer and will have made memories that extend beyond football.

“The players will benefit greatly from the experience, being exposed to the relentless nature of tournament football.

“Above all, the staff and players have been able to connect with their counterparts from other academies and share their football experiences.”

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Photo: ITFC