Wales under-18 Academy squad are in Gibraltar aiming to build on their recent success against the Republic of Ireland.
Manager Mark Pike and his team play Gibraltar in a double-header at the Victoria Stadium today (May 28) and Wednesday (May 30).
A 2-0 win and a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland in February ensured Wales reclaimed the John Coughlan Memorial Cup in the annual double fixture and the squad are now gaining experience with a visit to the Rock.
“The application and character of the group was superb throughout,” Pike told FAW.cymru after the matches against Ireland.
“The results were fantastic and two clean sheets at international level is something to be proud of. The young lads applied themselves extremely well and showed really good character and desire.
“I’m delighted to have secured these fixtures against Gibraltar.
“It’s another test, another new experience, for these young lads as the heat will be massive factor. I’m expecting the same preparation, attitude and application as in Ireland.
“I’m fine tuning the way we will play and I want to see how these lads adapt to it. However, I’ve not had this group together since Ireland, so it be interesting to see what they have learnt and how they have developed over the last few months.”
With the support of the FAW, the squad has made significant strides forward over the course of the last five years, with extra contact time with the players and more warm-up games against professional academies bringing tangible rewards.
However, Pike believes there is much more to come and says: “We want to create something puts our academy system on the map.
“With more investment we can have more games and more contact time.
“Fitting it all in with an extremely busy national development league is going to be a challenge, but we will continue to work together and create a system that will be sustainable for all concerned.
“It is vital we grow each year and, with more hard work, I’m sure we can continue to go from strength to strength.”
Wales under-18 Academy squad: Alex Pennock (Aberystwyth Town), Lee Jenkins (Aberystwyth), Liam Doherty (Aberystwyth), Harri Horwood (Aberystwyth), Toby Vickery (Airbus UK Broughton), George Peers (Airbus UK Broughton), Charlie Williams (Bala Town), Guto Williams (Bangor City), Geraint Jones (Bangor City), Callum Flynn (Barry Town United), Samuel Reynolds (Connah’s Quay Nomads), Charlie Hughes (Flint Town United), Charlie Davies (Haverfordwest County), Alaric Jones (Haverfordwest County), Christopher Craven (The New Saints), Lewis Dutton (TNS), James Parry (TNS), Tomos Williams (TNS).