Ruth proud as Albion top International Cup group

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Our under-21s beat Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night to finish top of Group B.

Nick Szczepanik

2024-01-19T06:00:00Z

Noel Atom scored the winning goal against the Croatian side.

Albion under-21s completed a perfect Premier League International Cup group stage with victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday and head coach Shannon Ruth was delighted by his team’s performances. Valencia, Lyon, Celtic and Dinamo had all posed varied problems for the young Seagulls but all were overcome.

“We are very pleased with the way we performed in the group all in all,” Ruth said. “They were four different games, with four different challenges. Lots of players have been involved in those four games, but to sit top of the group with 12 points out of 12 is something to be happy about.”

The team that faced Dinamo at a freezing American Express Elite Football Performance Centre was younger than usual, with many eligible players only just back from warm-weather training with the first team in Dubai, and Saturday’s FA Youth Cup tie at home to Leeds United on the horizon.

That meant further appearances for England under-16s Harry Howell and Freddie Simmonds, a first start at this level for Remiero Moulton, and a raft of substitutions on or around the hour.

“We had a few moving parts leading into the game,” Ruth said. “The FA Youth Cup for the under-18s is a very important competition for youth football so we wanted to have half an eye on that, and ensure that Inigo Calderon [the under-18s head coach] has as fresh a group as possible leading into that fixture. We also have a large number with the first team, helping their preparations.

“So that was where the team selection came from. But we are really pleased that our younger players can come into the team and step up. There is pressure that comes with that and they have shown the personality to deal with that pressure and perform.”

Albion had already qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition before facing the team from the capital of Croatia, but although results in the age groups take second place to player development, Ruth agreed that developing a winning mentality is part of that development.

“We do place an importance on winning at under-21 level,” he said. “It is how we win that is the most important thing: playing within the style and the framework of the club philosophy. But with the under-21s being the final step before senior football, they need to have winning as a priority.

Sahil Bashir fights for possession.

“The challenge that our young players have now is that the first team is playing at a high level now and their ambitions are high. So we also want this group of players to have high ambitions and to try to go further and further in these competitions that we are in.”

Moulton was the latest Albion youngster to take the eye. The 17-year-old, who had been with Arsenal before joining us from Watford, scored Albion’s opener with a brave diving header, and his determined run was ended by a foul that resulted in a free kick from which Noel Atom scored the winner.

“He is a player that works extremely hard and always gives his all and has some good quality too,” Ruth said. “He has had to be patient before getting his opportunity but I thought he stuck to his task and we were pleased with his contribution.”