Northern Ireland’s best young female teams will begin their quest for the Electric Ireland Women’s Academy League title on Friday evening.

The NI Football League formed the Electric Ireland Women’s Academy League in 2019 to provide a pathway for the best Under 19 players to progress into the top division of women’s football in Northern Ireland.

The League consists of six clubs; Cliftonville Corinthians, Crusaders Strikers U19, Derry City Ladies U19, Glentoran Women Reserves, Linfield Ladies Swifts and Sion Swifts Ladies U19, with a combination of competitive games, dedicated development days and learning opportunities included throughout the season calendar.

Steven Mills, Interim Managing Director of NI Football League said he is delighted with the imminent return of the Electric Ireland Women’s Academy League; “The Women’s Academy League continues to be a vital stage in the development of players and provides a clear and direct pathway into the Women’s Premiership. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Electric Ireland for a third season as their ongoing support is vital to the growth of our member clubs and league.

Anne Smyth Northern Ireland Sponsorship Lead, Electric Ireland said: “The Electric Ireland Women’s Academy League is important to our shared objective of enabling the talent of the future to be true game changers. We are delighted to see the best young talent return to the pitch and we look forward to watching the teams’ progress as the season gets underway this weekend.”

The new league will benefit from Electric Ireland Game Changers campaign, which includes initiatives with the Irish FA such as the Electric Ireland “Excellence” and “Shooting Stars” Programmes, which aims to change the landscape of female sport in Northern Ireland and encourage participation and elite opportunities for local players. The initiatives are helping sow the seeds of future success and creating an environment in which female sporting achievements are nurtured and celebrated at every age throughout a player’s development.

The Electric Ireland Women’s Academy League kicks off on Friday 4 June with the first fixtures as follows; Derry City Ladies U19 v Cliftonville Corinthians, Glentoran Women Reserves v Crusaders Strikers U19 and Linfield Ladies Swifts v Sion Swifts Ladies U19.