Hibernian FC Academy Coach Guillaume Beuzelin was extremely proud of his Hibernian FC U17 squad that flew out to France for the EMSGO International U17 Tournament.
Boozy assembled a young squad to represent the Club at the competition in his hometown, and he was extremely proud of their efforts both on and off the pitch.
After topping the group, the Hibees came third in the tournament, winning the Fair Play award in the process in what was a thoroughly successful trip overall and a good learning experience for all involved.
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Speaking to Hibernianfc.co.uk, Boozy admitted how impressed he was with the effort and attitude of his side.
“We only conceded one goal all tournament, which was very positive from our point of view.
“We travelled with a mixed team, but everyone was great, we performed well and most importantly we represented the Club very well. We won the Fair Play Award and the attitude of the boys was great all week.
“At the tournament, everyone ate in the same areas, so everyone needs to be on time and show the right attitude.
“Yellow cards, red cards, discipline and attitude all come into the Fair Play award category. Our boys were very polite, I told them before we went – this is my hometown, so we can’t mess about and we need to represent ourselves properly.
“I put some extra responsibility on Dean Cleland, Joseph McGrath and Owen Calder as they are all full-time, so gave them the task of looking after the younger ones and setting the standards – they did that perfectly.”
The Hibees travelled with a relatively young side – but Boozy was impressed with the way the boys gelled together, highlighting how beneficial this experience will be for their development.
“Hibs have played in the tournament a few times in the last decade or so”, Boozy continued.
“We were there five or six years ago, a couple of years ago and obviously this year. It is an international tournament that invites teams from all over the world.
“Hopefully we can go back every year because it was great for us. The only challenge for us was that it was an U17 age group tournament, so our team was a mixture of U17s, U16s, and U15s. It was during our exam period as well so we couldn’t take a few of the youngsters who had exams.
“Two years ago, we went and we had Rory Whittaker and Josh Landers there as 14 year olds. They have since gone on to play for the First Team this season – so it has shown a great pathway for the young players, especially at this tournament.
“It was good for the lads to open their eyes and experience a different style of football and a new challenge.”
