Wolves under-21s will play under the Molineux lights when they host holders PSV in the Premier League’s International Cup next month.
The Dutch outfit, who won the competition last season, are the visitors to the Golden Palace as James Collins’ youngsters open their 2023/24 European campaign on Monday 16th October, 7pm kick-off.
PSV lifted the trophy following a 3-1 victory after-extra-time over Crystal Palace in the final at Selhurst Park back in May.
Season ticket holders and members can gain free entry into the fixture, providing supporters with the ideal opportunity to witness the club’s best young talents go head-to-head with fellow European youth footballers in a competitive environment.
The Old Gold will also play host to Sparta Prague, OSG Nice and Hertha BSC as part of the group stage, with the top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams progressing to the knockout stages.
Season ticket holders and members must claim their ticket in advance to gain free entry. For non-season ticket holders, tickets cost £4 for adults, £2 for over-65s and under-21s, while under-17s go free. Initially areas WL2, WL3 and WL4 within the Billy Wright Lower Tier are available. Season ticket holders and members must select the “STH/Member Free” price class when selecting their seats online.
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Wolves have already picked up some impressive results in a variety of competitions this season, including a first Premier League 2 win of the campaign against Crystal Palace and a 2-1 victory in the EFL Trophy at Notts County.
The under-21s enter a busy period of fixtures over the coming weeks, competing in four different competitions, which will all provide their own challenges.
In particular, the International Cup offers a special set of games that only 12 clubs from England and 12 clubs from across Europe get a taste of.
Laura Nicholls, academy manager for operations, said: “We are delighted that this fixture has been pencilled in to be played under the lights at Molineux.
“As with all International Cup fixtures, the competition provides a unique opportunity for our young players to showcase their talent up against European opposition.
“Even more so, for the game to be taking place at Molineux will mean that the evening is given that extra special feeling for our players, coaches and supporters, who we hope will once again turn out in their numbers.
“It’s important we normalise that experience of playing at a first-team venue as a combination of these opportunities will only enhance the development of our players and ready them for the next steps in their careers.
“I look forward to seeing as many Wolves supporters at the game as possible to give the team that extra boost. Hopefully the talent and football on display will make for a memorable game and it encourages those in the stands to come back for future academy games.”
Under-21s head coach Collins added: “The more games we can get at the stadium, the better. Hugo Bueno, Nathan Fraser and Joe Hodge all benefitted from that.
“I thought whenever they went into the first-team in their senior debuts, they looked comfortable because they’d played there and were used to it. We played a lot of games a couple of years ago on the pitch and that helped massively.
“PSV is an incredibly tough game. I watched them play in last year’s semi-final against Fulham and they were outstanding. I thought they were as a good a youth team as you could see.
“They’ve got a rich history in developing players and I think that will be arguably our toughest game of the season. To have that at Molineux is a great challenge for our boys and also a good one for the supporters to come and see the standards that they need to reach.”
Wolves under-21s’ 2023/24 International Cup group stage fixtures:
- Wolves vs PSV | Monday 16th October
- Wolves vs Sparta Prague | Friday 24th November
- Wolves vs OGC Nice | Wednesday 29th November
- Wolves vs Hertha BSC | Wednesday 17th January
