Finn Harps Under-15s, managed by club legend Kevin McHugh, begin the new SSE Airtricity National Under-15 League on Friday night.
The Harps young guns face north-west neighbours Sligo Rovers at Finn Park (kick-off 7pm) as the new season swings into action.
McHugh has been busy recruiting and preparing for the new season, the inaugural National Under-15 League. The former striker is well versed in the local scene having managed the Donegal Schoolboys League team for a number of seasons.
The Killea native, who scored 186 goals in 438 games for Harps in two spells from 1998 to 2016, will lead the Harps side
The SSE Airtricity League U15 National League will be made up of 24 teams from across the country and they will all participate in a shortened 2017 season. There will be four groups with six teams competing in each group and the top two teams from each group will then qualify for the finals stage.
All 20 SSE Airtricity League teams are represented with three schoolboy league sides – Kerry Schoolboys League, Mayo League, Monaghan/Cavan Partnership – and St. Kevin’s Boys making up the 24 sides in the truncated season.
Harps are in Group One of the League alongside Sligo, Derry City, Mayo, Monaghan-Cavan and Longford Town.
Republic of Ireland U15 Head Coach Jason Donohue said: “It opens up more opportunities for the best players in the country to play with each other which will only benefit the country going forward.
“It is all about development. I’m going to work with the coaches from the league, invite them to Abbotstown and different sessions to show them what we do at international level which will hopefully benefit them as well.
“We want to make sure the players we bring in are better equipped to deal with international football, and I’m sure the national U15 league will do that.”
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