The Malta Under-17 team is currently in Italy to take part in the annual Trofeo Nereo Rocco.

Malta Under-17 coach Noel Turner named a squad of 20 players for this tournament which is intended to boost the squad’s preparations for their commitments in the qualifying group of the 2019-20 UEFA Under-17 Championship.

Austria, Bulgaria and Norway, who are hosting the UEFA tournament, are Malta’s opponents in Group 13 with the matches scheduled to take place from October 17-23.

Turner, who is assisted by Mark Marlow, has retained most of the players who formed part of the Malta U-16 squad for the UEFA Youth Under-16 Development Tournament, held at the Centenary Stadium last March.

At the Trofeo Nereo Rocco tournament, to be played in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, the Maltese youngsters have been drawn in Group C. They will face Austrian team FC Karnten on Tuesday, Napoli the following day and Pordenone on Thursday. These group fixtures will be followed by the knock-out and classification matches.

The friendly tournament will see the participation of youth teams from a host of countries, including Italian sides Milan, Lazio, Udinese and Bologna, Red Star Belgrade of Serbia, Chivas from Mexico and Slovenia’s Olimpia Ljubljana.

MALTA UNDER-17 SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS
Miguel Spiteri (unattached); Daniel Grima (Mosta).

DEFENDERS
Zean Leonardi (Pietà Hotspurs); Owen Sammut (Mosta); James Vella (San Ġwann); Russel Micallef Decesare (St Andrews); Nicholai Micallef (Ħamrun Spartans); Isaac Cutajar (Pietà Hotspurs); Sebastian Cassar Torregiani (St Andrews); Luca Zammit (St Andrews).

MIDFIELDERS
Nathan Agius (Mosta); Jake Grech (San Ġwann); Kurt Briffa (Pietà Hotspurs); Brite Anayochi Ihuomah (Hibernians); Azriel Borg (Mosta); Alexander Spiteri (Sliema Wanderers).

FORWARDS
Eric Atkins (Balzan);  Matteo Gambin (Żabbar St Patrick); Antheos Spiteri (Valletta); Andrea Zammit (San Ġwann).