It will be the first time the Hibees will have participated in the UEFA Youth League, since the competition first began in 2013.
Speaking to Hibs TV in the lead-up to the match, U18 Head Coach Gareth Evans expressed the importance to the lads of making the most of the occasion.
“The lads are all really looking forward to it, this is their reward for all their hard work last season. To come and play in stadiums like this and against this type of opposition is all part of their development and the learning environment we put them into.
“They all thoroughly deserve this opportunity to come over to Molde and compete in the First Round of the UEFA Youth League.
“I’ve told the lads to go out and be the best they can be. They need to not worry about anything and to try and play football the way they did last season when they won the league so convincingly. That will be the message to the lads ahead of the game.”
The Hibs U19 squad spent the majority of Monday travelling to the Norwegian City of Molde, before visiting the Aker Stadion on Tuesday to familiarise themselves with the surroundings.
The team completed a full training session on the pitch ahead of the tie, an experience that Evans insisted was extremely valuable for the youngsters – particularly for getting used to the artificial surface. He said:
“We had a good training session on the pitch, the session was primarily to get the legs going ahead of the game and for the boys to familiarise themselves with the stadium and the artificial surface.
“It is a good experience for the lads to play in bigger stadiums so it has been beneficial to get in here and complete a proper session ahead of the game."
The match kicks off at 7pm CET (6pm UK time) on Wednesday 14 September, and the wee Hibees are all eagerly anticipating their first taste of European football in green and white.
“The lads are all looking forward to the match, some of them have been away before on
"European trips either with each other before, some have been involved with National teams.
“But to come away as a group, all together and to play against a top team like Molde will be a great experience for the lads."
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