Norwich City Under-12s and Under-13s experienced a memorable week in China, combining international football with cultural experiences, development sessions and plenty of team bonding.
The young Canaries competed in the Friendship Cities Cup Youth Football Invitational, with 20 teams taking part in a tournament which gave the players the chance to test themselves against international opposition while experiencing a different culture alongside their teammates.
The football came thick and fast, with City recording wins over Dalian Tornado's Football Club, Dongbeilu and KFA Gyeongju Hwarang, before eventually reaching the quarter-finals.
Away from the matches, the players were also given opportunities to develop different aspects of their game.
The opening day featured a workshop carousel with Academy staff, as analyst Zara McDonald and physiotherapist Billy Dunton delivered media training and post-match interview practice. Academy psychologist Sam Thomas then led a session on managing tournament emotions, while lead coach George Chukwuma helped the players set individual football development goals.
With a busy schedule of fixtures, Wednesday focused on recovery, with the group learning how to look after their bodies through active recovery sessions in the gym and ice baths.
There was plenty of opportunity to experience life away from football, too. The players and travelling parents visited the site of the old Olympic stadium and a supermall, before heading to Dalian Forest Zoo to see giant pandas and a host of other animals.
The group also attended an amateur fixture at the Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, taking in the atmosphere of the 60,000-plus seater venue as the local side recorded a 4-0 victory.
After qualifying through the group stages in the Swiss-format competition, City beat Brondby IF 4-1 in the last 16 before losing to the eventual winners Nottingham Forest in the quarterfinals.
There was still plenty to celebrate, though, with Morgan and Wilfred selected for the All-Stars fixture against China Best 9. The pair were chosen by the other tournament managers as the best opposition players they had faced during the competition, before proudly representing Norwich City in the game.
The squad then took part in a quiz reflecting on the key moments of their trip before receiving the tournament’s fair play award during the closing ceremony.
The final evening brought one last memorable experience, with the players taking a boat tour along the Dalian coast and looking back at the illuminated city skyline.
