Albion under-21s take on Valencia at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre tonight as they battle it out for a place in the semi-finals of the Premier League International Cup.
Shannon Ruth’s team took seven points from their group stage games against PSV, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague and Monaco, as they now look to reach the penultimate stage of the competition for the first time.
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“There’s definitely a buzz around the competition and it has a different feel to it than other tournaments,” Ruth said. “This is the furthest we’ve ever gone and we are all focussed on trying to go one step further.
“I was really pleased with our performances in the group stages and I want us to carry that on.”
The under-21s head into tonight’s game having won two of their last three games in Premier League 2.
Having beaten Blackburn Rovers, they were narrowly defeated by West Ham before returning to winning ways on Sunday against Wolves.
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“We’ve turned a corner in recent weeks. A number of players have gone out on loan during the window and that has given younger players the opportunity to make the step up.
“That naturally means there is a bedding-in period as they get used to us and vice-versa, but we had five scholars involved against Wolves on Sunday in Premier League 2 who played their part in the win.
“We signed Jamie Mullins and Mark O’Mahony in January and they have made a really positive impact on the group. We were excited about them and it’s great to see them progress as they get more used to their surroundings.”