Almost 600 teams to take part in biggest ever Foyle Cup!

Liverpool and Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley has been confirmed as the Guest of Honour at the Press Launch of this year’s O’Neill’s Foyle Cup, which is set to be the most popular iteration of the youth tournament yet.

The 19-year-old Castlederg native, who competed in the Foyle Cup as a youth player, will take questions from the media while engaging with some of the clubs taking part.

The launch will take place on Friday, 9th June at Ulster University’s Magee Campus in Derry, where participants will discover their opponents for the six-day festival of football.

Bradley has had a tremendous season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, with the team and the player himself both benefitting hugely from his temporary switch to the Trotters. As well as the team making the League One promotion play-offs and winning the EFL Trophy, Bradley has been honoured with the club’s Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and the Young Player of the Season accolades, having contributed with seven goals and six assists in over 50 appearances.

The defender described his winning of these prestigious awards as “an honour”, with plaudits also recently forthcoming from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who described him as having a “super mentality”.

Philip Devlin, Secretary of the O’Neill’s Foyle Cup organising committee, commented: “Jurgen Klopp’s assessment of Conor’s ability tells the story of what an exciting talent he is, and I doubt that anyone locally would disagree. I have full confidence that Conor will become a regular for Northern Ireland in the coming years, with the role of captaincy well within his reach. It is really pleasing to see such a modest young player achieving this level of success so early in his career, and we look forward to Conor’s participation in our eagerly anticipated Press Launch.”

The O’Neill’s Foyle Cup will take place in the Derry City & Strabane and Causeway Coast & Glens Council areas from 17th July to 22nd July, with a record-shattering number of teams registered to take part. Almost 600 sides from all over the world will compete in what is quickly becoming one of the foremost youth football tournaments in Ireland, as well as the most popular event in the Derry City & Strabane District Council area.

The Foyle Cup will also provide a substantial boost to the local economy. An increase on the 220,000 who attended last year’s event is expected, with spending in excess of £3million anticipated during the week of the tournament.

Speaking on behalf of the title sponsors, O’Neill’s Irish International Sports Company, John Murphy said: “We are excited to once again partner with the Foyle Cup to bring this fantastic tournament to young footballers from all over the world. We believe that events like the O’Neill’s Foyle Cup are vital for the development of young players, and we look forward to seeing the talented young athletes who will be competing in 2023 and we wish them all the best of luck. We must thank everyone involved in helping to make the tournament happen as it is a massive team effort, and we have no doubt it will be another successful year.”

Mr. Devlin paid tribute to the sponsors, including title sponsor O’Neill’s, Tourism NI, The Executive Office, Dept. For Communities, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Seagate, Brunswick Moviebowl, Derry Credit Union, Ulster University and Inner City Trust.

For more information on the O’Neill’s Foyle Cup 2023 please visit www.foylecup.com or email oneillsfoylecup@gmail.com.