The Oldham Athletic youth team recently enjoyed a pre-season training camp at Browns in Portugal which was funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme.
As well as the football, the youth players took part in a number of cultural visits and also continued the education part of their scholarship which for this trip was closely linked to the ECVET programme.
They sampled some new sports including Floorball and also took part in Portuguese lessons as part of their educational duties.
On the field, the players were tested with a game against Nigerian opposition as well as a game against Sheffield Wednesday.
Youth Development Phase Lead Coach Pete Wild said: “It was great for the lads to integrate with each other especially as for most of them it is the first time they have been away from home away from their parents.
“Off the field it was a very successful trip as the boys were tested physically and mentally. They had to do things for themselves which made them work independently, all part of their development as people.
“Trips like this benefit as it allows them to create friendships as well as gel as a group and that can only be a positive.”
Head of Academy Coaching and PDP Coach Simon Cooper added: “The experience of playing a team from Africa was fantastic as they have a different approach to playing and training.
“After the game, our players integrated really well with the Nigerian players who had come from very difficult backgrounds and were sharing their feelings to our scholars of how lucky they are to have the opportunity to play for a professional club in England.
“In terms of training, the heat was very demanding and challenging for the players and the coaches. The facilities were fantastic and it was a great learning environment for the boys and a great foundation for the forthcoming season.”