Over the weekend our under-13s followed in the footsteps of the under-14s and lifted the Premier League International Tournament crown in Swansea.
Becoming the first club in the country to achieve this feat, Stuart Brightwell, who helped led the under-14s to glory at the Academy of Light earlier this month, helped steer the under-13s to victory in South Wales to seal an impressive double.
Defeating Belgian side Anderlecht 2-0 in the first match, the Black Cats went on to see off Stoke City 1-0 before playing out a goalless draw with Liverpool which proved enough to see them advance to the final.
And like the under-14s’ final, Chelsea were the opposition.
While the match once again went to a dramatic penalty shootout, Sunderland’s young guns held their nerve to defeat the West London club 8-7.
Here, safc.com’s Sam Lightle speaks to Brightwell about what this latest achievement means for the Academy of Light.
Can you just start by telling us a little bit about the tournament?
SB: “It’s another good group. We won all our games in qualifying without conceding a goal against Man City, Everton and Middlesbrough so we were expecting them to do well. It took us nine hours to get down there but it is an unbelievable place. All weekend the boys were first class both on and off the field. It was an amazing achievement to think that two weeks after under-14s did it, they have done it too.”
What does it mean for the Academy of Light to have two sides winning an international tournament like this?
SB: “It is tough times for any Sunderland fan but for me, it epitomises what the academy has done. We work hard as a group of staff. This proves that we have got some top, top boys. But not just the players, the staff also. They work tremendously hard. You don’t go to the tournaments we have had lately and do what we have done if you haven’t got some very good players. We have got some top talent.”
What message does it send out across the country because this is another prestigious tournament our academy has won?
SB: “You look at the qualifiers and we always get a big hitter so just to qualify it a massive achievement. When you get there and you are playing the best of the best, and then to win those games it is just the best feeling. It is a terrific achievement.”
