Cork City U19s forward Pierce Phillips has revealed his team are working around the clock to get up to speed for the mammoth UEFA Youth League challenge posed by Italian giants Roma.
Stephen Bermigham's trailblazers set up the glamour showdown with a terrific first-round defeat of HJK Helsinki, thanks to a 1-0 second-leg victory at Turner’s Cross.
It’s the first time an underage League of Ireland team has played competitively in European competition and, their reward is a test against one of the biggest clubs on the continent.
“We’re practically training full time around school and work at the moment so we’re well prepared," 18-year-old Phillips told the club's website ahead of Wednesday night's first leg on Leeside.
"It’s unbelievable to be facing a club that big. They were the U19 champions in Italy so we’re expecting tough opposition.
“We’ll stick to our game plan as ever. We might alter it a little, depending on who we play but, at the end of the day, we focus on our own game and we’ll go out and do our best to get a result."
FULL TIME | City are through to face @ASRomaEN in the next round!!!! #CCFC84 #UYL pic.twitter.com/lKZOZNWWHH
— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) October 19, 2016
Cork were excellent against HJK over two legs, and Bermingham's young guns are starting create a real buzz in the city.
A number of the U19s have featured in John Caulfield’s first-team squad in recent weeks, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Conor McCarthy both scoring against Wexford Youths and midfielder Cian Coleman making appearances off the bench .
A crowd of 1,287 watched the the home leg against HJK in Turner’s Cross, and Phillips is hoping for more of the same this Wednesday.
"The crowd was a massive help, especially in the final 20 minutes when we were under pressure," he said.
"You could really sense them getting behind us and pushing is on. A big crowd would be fantastic to get again.
“From the very start, this group has always been about improving one another. Every single player involved is quality. Not just the starting 11, but the whole squad. We’re all very close as a team too, and that helps.”
