7 Elite Academy’s Player Pathway partners have been handed a trip to Macclesfield Town in the FA Youth Cup after Wednesday night’s 4-1 win over Clitheroe.

The Reds breezed past their Lancashire opponents at the Marine Travel Arena thanks to goals from Michael Lismore and Prosper Imarhiagbe, despite losing Joel Skillen to a red card early in the second half.

Their reward is a place in the Preliminary Round of the FA Youth Cup and an encounter with The Silkmen at Moss Rose during the week beginning September 4th.

Kierran Kinsella, Head Coach of AFC Liverpool Under-18s, is looking forward to the challenge of taking on the North-West Counties outfit

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He said: “The lads worked well in possession on Wednesday night and even though we lost a player in the second half, it was good see how they dealt with that.

“We didn’t know a lot about Clitheroe beforehand, which made planning for the game a bit tougher, but we prepared well and the hard work paid off. I am very proud of them.

“The trip to Macclesfield will be a step up, so we’ll be back to training and continuing the work we’ve been doing during the summer. The process for the next game will be exactly the same

“It will be another good opportunity for this group to experience playing in a stadium with a good-sized crowd. In terms of their future development, this is an excellent stage for the players.”

The AFC Liverpool Under-18s squad is run and trained by 7 Elite Academy staff as part of a Player Pathway that includes regular training and educational exchange opportunities in the United States.

Youngsters from the academy travel to the USA several times a year to play in the biggest college showcase tournaments and youth football events across the country.

Anthony Godfrey, 7 Elite Academy Directory, added: “The FA Youth Cup is a great opportunity for these lads to get the exposure that could set them on the path to professional football or college scholarships in the United States.

“As part of our Player Pathway, we streamed the game live to a group of coaches and recruiters from ten of the best colleges in America, all of which are actively looking for UK-based-players.

“The lads did themselves proud against Clitheroe and I know the coaches were very impressed with they saw. Last season we saw Josh Miles progress from our squad to a three-year professional contract with Blackpool.

“There is no reason why this year’s players can’t do something similar, especially after Wednesday night. Our Player Pathway is geared towards giving young people these opportunities on a regular basis.”

Chris Stirrup, Chairman of AFC Liverpool, said: “It was great to see the development of this group continue after last season’s excellent run in the FA Youth Cup.

“To win 4-1 after a tough start to the second half showed great resilience and gives me a lot of hope for the future potential of these players. It is going to be a very exciting season.

“There was a brilliant atmosphere in the Marine Travel Arena for Wednesday’s game and although we’ll be away for the next round, I know the entire club will be backing the Under-18s at Macclesfield.”