Premier League Director of Football Neil Saunders fondly looked back upon the progress that the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup has made over the years upon the conclusion of the fifth edition of the tournament in the United Kingdom (UK) this month. Stellenbosch FC lifted the title as Punjab FC from India secured a historic podium finish by finishing third on the table. Punjab FC, champions of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) 2023-24, won their matches against Premier League opponents Everton FC and Aston Villa FC, and Saunders said that the entire mechanism of having the RFDL as a precursor to the Next Generation Cup has worked in the favour of building an elite youth football ecosystem in India.
“This is the fifth edition of the Next Generation Cup. We have progressed from having the U-14 teams to now having the best teams from the U-21 age category from all over. Behind the Next Generation tournament is the Reliance Foundation Development League that takes place as the pre-qualification, to this tournament providing teams with up to 30 games and it is a big step forward from where we started the competition,” Saunders said.
Saunders highlighted that the primary objective of the Next Generation Cup is to hone the superstars of tomorrow. He pointed at the example of West Ham United FC midfielder George Earthy, who played the previous season of the competition in Mumbai in 2023. In the 2023-24 season, Earthy made three appearances for the Hammers in the Premier League, and even bagged a goal under his belt.
“We have the aim of developing the game in India. We want to develop the young players in particular, which I think is evident now. Over the many years, we have seen the quality of Indian teams really rise year-on-year. The games were very close. With Indian teams getting wins over Premier League sides, it shows that this competition is really growing. Hopefully, this competition continues for many more years and we see the tournament supporting the development of young players,” Saunders said.
He added, “In the five editions so far, we have seen a number of English players who have participated in the Next Generation Cup, go on to play in the Premier League. George Earthy from West Ham United came to Mumbai a year ago and is now playing in the Premier League. Similarly, a lot of Indian players have gone on to play in the ISL too. I am hoping that players from this year’s tournament get a lot of opportunities in the future too. With the results that Punjab FC had against English sides in this tournament, hopefully it gives clubs and managers confidence in selecting these players going forward.”
“Playing against international teams is a huge part of player development”
Saunders slightly touched upon the selection process that goes behind picking teams from the Premier League that will compete in the Next Generation Cup. Aston Villa FC, Everton FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, and Crystal Palace FC participated in the tournament this year from England’s end, and Saunders assured that only the topmost academies from UK compete in the Next Generation Cup.
“In the English academy system, we have 92 professional teams. Category 1 is the highest level of academies and only those sides participate in the Next Generation Cup. Playing against international teams is a huge part of player development. We have different opportunities for teams from across age groups to play clubs from around Europe. In tournaments like these, we get these teams to play non-European clubs,” Saunders signed off.
Stellenbosch FC overcame Tottenham Hotspur FC by 2-0 in the summit clash to lift the cup after having lost against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in the final in 2023. Punjab FC defeated Aston Villa FC by 2-0 in the third-place playoff to finish ahead of the likes of Everton FC and Crystal Palace FC in the final leaderboard.
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