MELBOURNE Victory’s admission in to the Victorian National Premier League competition next season will see it open their doors to dozens of talented youngsters.
Both Victory and Melbourne City will play their youth teams in Victoria’s second-tier league in 2015 and Victory announced on Wednesday that it will also field a team in the under 20s competition.
The Victorian season runs from about March to September, while the National Youth League – which pits youth teams from most A-League clubs against each other – traditionally runs from October to late February.
It means that Victory will have up to 46 players training for and playing in competitive matches for 12 months of the year, moving it in to line with clubs from top European and South American countries.
The youth teams will continue to be based at AAMI Park alongside the senior team players and coaching staff, while recruitment – particularly for the under 20s side – will now begin in earnest.
“Entry into the NPL enhances the club’s commitment to providing the best high performance environment we can for the development of some of the most talented young players in Victoria, and the country,” Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro said.
“It also provides a defined pathway through an A-League club environment for the advancement of their careers.
“The benefit to young players is they will be coached and educated through the Melbourne Victory system and have the opportunity to work with elite coaches, mentors and conditioning and medical experts throughout their time with us, to be the best they can be.”
source: news.com.au
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