Youngsters from the Academy are about to embark on a pre-season tour of Holland where they face prestigious friendlies against Club Brugge and Schalke.

Alex Inglethorpe and Neil Critchley are taking the U17 and U19 squads on the tour which will be a fantastic experience for the youngsters.

The team travel to the Netherlands on Saturday where they'll spend the best part of two weeks in the town, Nijmegen.

As part of the trip, the boys will take part in many cultural activities, as well as footballing matters, including a visit to the Overloon war museum, and the graves of three soldiers that originated from Liverpool, laying wreaths in their honour.

The team will also be paying a special visit to meet the children at Radboud hospital and getting involved in sporting activities with the local kids of Nijmegen at the prestigious Johan Cruyff foundation.

Finally, the Academy squad will meet with the local side, Nijmegen FC, as they hold a training session and answer questions from players of the similar age to develop an understanding of each other's experiences as young players.

They will then face the sides Club Brugge and Schalke in pre-season Friendlies, including joining in a one-off training session at the academy of FC Twente, before returning home on August 1.

U18s boss Critchley told Liverpoolfc.com: "We are looking forward to the trip and it will be a fantastic experience for the young players.

"The games against Club Brugge and Schalke will be a good test for us."