AcademyTrent Kone-Doherty named SuperCupNI Player of the Tournament

Though the week ended with a 3-0 loss for the young Reds against Hertha BSC there was a personal award for the young winger from Derry, who was the focus of lots of attention during a positive week for the Academy.

While he didn’t feature on the scoresheet, Kone-Doherty was a constant threat on the left in the two games he started - versus Hertha and a 1-1 draw with Valencia - while offering a memorable cameo in the last 20 minutes as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Manchester United.

On Kone-Doherty’s accolade, U18s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson told Liverpoolfc.com: “Trent’s had a good week, just like everyone else.

“It’s probably been a little bit more difficult for Trent, he’s on the back of an injury and it’s been his first exposure to games, and obviously he’s coming back home, which brings with it a different mentality.

“People are looking at him, cheering him and it’s great for him to come back and put in some good performances.

“Overall [it’s been] a really good week, a fantastic tournament, great opposition. It’s been a really positive week, we’ll remember this with real fondness.”

Following Friday’s defeat by Hertha, Bridge-Wilkinson said: “Obviously the culmination wasn’t exactly what we’d wanted and we didn’t play particularly well [against Hertha] but there’s been lots of positives to take and we’re still building towards the start of our season in two weeks.

“There’s a lot to take from it. It’s been tough, we’re young compared to some of the other teams here and we’ve persisted with what we’re trying to do, the way we’re trying to play, and in weeks to come it will continue to improve.”

The highlight of the week was the 1-0 victory against United at Coleraine Showgrounds on Wednesday night in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,500, with fans of both sides out in numbers.

U18s v Manchester United highlights

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Bridge-Wilkinson added: “It was a great game to be a part of for all the boys, a big crowd against Manchester United, which brings a little bit more pressure than normal and a great experience for all the boys.

“Coming to play the opposition we’ve played is really important, the challenge that has brought. We can learn so much about the individual players and about the group as well. We spend a week in the hotel and a week together doing team stuff, playing the games, so it’s a fantastic week to look back on.”