Northern Ireland will be aiming to collect the trophy for only the second time in the competition’s history when they take part in this year’s Victory Shield.
The Under-16 Schoolboys international competition, which is organised by the Schools’ Association Football International Board, gets under way on Sunday at the Oriam sports complex in Edinburgh, which is part of Heriot-Watt University.
Northern Ireland have only won the shield once – in 2000-01 – since the current version was set up in 1947.
England have not entered for the past couple of years, so the U16s will be facing current holders Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland in Edinburgh. The team is being managed by Irish FA elite performance coach Darren Murphy.
Northern Ireland will begin their quest for Victory Shield glory against hosts Scotland on Sunday followed by a tie against the Republic on Tuesday and a game against Wales next Friday.
The schedule for this year’s Victory Shield is:
Sunday 30 October
2pm - Scotland v Northern Ireland
5pm - Wales v Republic of Ireland
Tuesday 1 November
1pm - Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland
4pm - Scotland v Wales
Friday 4 November
12.30pm - Northern Ireland v Wales
3.30pm - Scotland v Republic of Ireland
The Northern Ireland Victory Shield squad for 2016 is:
Goalkeepers – Tiernan Parker (School: Onslow St Audrey’s Hatfield/Club: Luton Town), Paul McLaughlin (CBS Secondary Belfast/Glentoran);
Defenders – Jake Corbett (Dromore High School/Linfield), Ethan Warnock (Ashfield Boys’ School Belfast/Glentoran), Sam McClelland (Limavady Grammar/Coleraine), Dean Corrigan (Enniskillen Royal Grammar/Ballinamallard United), Barney McKeown (St Colman’s College Newry/Portadown), Jack Conlon (St Ronan’s College Lurgan/Portadown), Jack Scott (Tandragee Junior High/Linfield);
Midfielders – Ethan Galbraith (Glengormley High/Linfield), Lee O’Brien (Dunclug College Ballymena/Cliftonville), Jordon McEneff (St Columb’s College Derry-Londonderry/Coleraine), Andrew Whiteside (Coleraine Grammar/Coleraine), George Curran (Royal School Dungannon/Linfield), Paul McAdorey (St Patrick’s College Belfast/Cliftonville);
Forwards – Ben Wilson (St Columb’s College Derry-Londonderry/Coleraine), Christopher Conn (St Mary’s Grammar Belfast/Glentoran), Connor Farrelly (Corpus Christi Belfast/Cliftonville), Callum Ferris (Craigavon Senior High Lurgan/Portadown), Caolan McLaughlin (St Joseph’s Secondary Derry-Londonderry/Foyle Harps).
