Everton have been invited to the Dallas Cup Youth competition in the United States to be held next year in early April 2012.
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Executive Director Gordon Jago was pleased to announce the 2011 English Premier Academy League champions as the first 2012 Gordon Jago Super Group team.
Everton will be making their first trip to the Dallas Cup since 1999, there has been a long standing relationship with the English Premiership teams in this competition.
Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup is the oldest international youth soccer tournament in the United States, celebrating its 33rd year in 2012.
Dallas Cup contains age groups up to U19 level and entertains on average more than 160,000 spectators during the week. Since its inception in 1980, Dallas Cup has played host to teams and referees from over 45 states, 100 countries and 6 continents. Past youth players have included Beckham, Rooney, Crouch and Defoe.
Everton Academy Manager, Alan Irvine said: 'We are delighted to once again be crossing the Atlantic to take part in the Dallas Cup. This competition is one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world and the quality of teams taking part in 2012 proves that. Here at Everton we get invited to countless international events during the course of the season but we only accept the ones that we feel will be very well organised and will give our young players a platform to perform against a very good standard of opposition. The Dallas Cup certainly ticks both boxes and we are all looking forward to it."
Tournament Manager, Randy Jones (We kid you not) said: 'We are really pleased to have Everton back at the Dallas Cup in the Super Group for 2012. When last here in 1999 in our Under 14 group there was a young lad by the name of Wayne Rooney in the squad. Who knows what we will see in the Super Group squad next April but I know one thing for sure, there will be some outstanding "Everton Football" played on the fields at the Dallas Cup!'
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