Gavin Levey has backed Aberdeen Women’s youngsters to impress while away on international duty with Scotland.
Aberdeen have five players – Jess Broadrick, Eva Thomson, Annalisa McCann, Mya Christie and Millie Urquhart – away in Spain with Scotland under-19s this week.
The quintet will all hope to feature in dark blue during the Pinatar Youth Cup – which begins with a clash against Hungary on Friday, before a potential final on Monday.
The Dons interim coach hopes the youngsters make the most of their national team call-ups, as he said: “Representing your country is a massive honour, whether that’s the under-16s, under-17s or under-19s.
“For our girls to be around the national team group and playing with the best young players this country has, it’s really positive for Scotland and all of those individuals.
“They’ll be playing with and against people their age, and players who are of a similar level – because recently they’ve been coming up against experienced professionals.
“They have to go out and apply themselves in a different way and make sure they impress the national team selectors and coaching staff.
“I’ve got no doubt that the girls who are away in Spain – and also Maddie (Finnie), Brodie (Greenwood) and Aimee (Black), who have just been away with the U17s – will represent the club in the best manner.
“They are all really good prospects for the future.”
Developing best young women’s football talent in the north-east
Aberdeen players are regularly called up to Scotland’s youth squads, with Finnie, Greenwood (on loan at St Johnstone) and Black (Aberdeen Ladies U18s) having just returned from U17 duty in Greece.
Levey, whose day job is academy director at Aberdeen FC, believes the club must continue to develop their young talent in the hope they can have a lasting impact at senior level.
He said: “Aberdeen Ladies U18s need to take a lot credit for that because they’re playing in the performance programme where young players are getting a chance.
“Even before my time in this interim role, Emma (Hunter) and Gavin (Beith) were taking the young ones up to training to give them that experience, and we’ve continued that.
“It’s up to us now to keep the best young talent up in the north-east, because if we can keep a hold of them, especially in the future, it will help strengthen our squad.
“That’s important when we don’t have the opportunity to recruit in a similar way to other clubs, and it’s the exact same thing with the (men’s) youth academy at Aberdeen.
“For years we’ve turned Aberdeen being in the north-east as a strength for us and pretty much all of our academy – bar one or two – are from this part of Scotland.
“We’ve performed at the highest level both in Scotland and in Europe, and I think that could be matched in girl’s and women’s football if we make some really positive change.”
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