Turning back the clock 10 years to 2005…
BUSQUETS, LOPEZ… BARCA BRILLIANCE! EVANS ABOVE!
Jonny Evans was a star turn for Manchester United in the Premier competition.
The Northern Ireland international featured alongside fellow Northern Ireland star Craig Cathcart.
Included in the United squad were Tom Cleverley, Danny Rose and Ben Amos.
Evans scored a smashing 22-yard free kick in a quarter- final game against Cherry Orchard at Ballymena Showgrounds.
The Old Trafford lad went on to greater things at Old Trafford and in the international set up.
He also returned to his Milk Cup roots in 2007 to assist Neil Warnock at the draw in the 25th anniversary year of the tournament.
RON HAS LAST LAUGH!
German-born keeper Ron-Robert Zieler was behind Northern Ireland’s Jonny Evans and the Manchester United defence in ‘05.
When the Cologne man didn’t crack it at United – he failed to make a single appearance for the senior team - he was loaned out to Northampton Town, later joining Hannover 96 on a free transfer.
Remarkably, despite his Old Trafford rejection, Ron- Robert went on to lift a winners’ medal with the Germany national team at the World Cup finals in Brazil last summer.
He had previously collected a medal with the national team at the UEFA Under-19 Championships in 2008.
Zieler also played for United at the 2006 Milk Cup. LAFFERTY AN ELITE AGENT…
It’s hardly surprising that Northern Ireland goal hero Kyle Lafferty was finding the target for his country a decade ago! The Fermanagh man was a member of Roy Millar’s squad in the Elite competition. The boys in green reached the final after sensationally defeating Brazil 2-1 in the semi-final, but lost to an impressive USA team 4-2 at Coleraine Showgrounds.
Kyle, a star of Northern Ireland’s current Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, was in a squad that also included goalkeepers Jonny Tuffey and Trevor Carson, Kyle McVey, Dominic Melly, Aaron Callaghan, Paul McCrink, Ciaran Gargan, Ryan Catney and Johnny Steele. McCrink and McVey scored the goals to beat Brazil. Larne man Steele’s career has taken him across America, also Canada, Australia and Ballymena! While with New York Red Bulls in the MLS he played alongside Thierry Henry who was more than impressed with his performances. Jonny scored in the Milk Cup final against the US but had to wait eight more years before his country came calling again. Michael O’Neill gave him his senior debut in a friendly against Turkey in November 2013.
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Barcelona graced the Premier event in 2005 and lifted the title. Sergio Busquets, Jordi Lopez and Giovani dos Santos were the stand out names in the team that beat Brendan Rodgers’ Chelsea 1-0 in the final at Coleraine.
The Spanish also accounted for Manchester United 2-1 in the semis. The squad also included Marc Crosas Luque who joined Celtic in 2008 and made 51 appearances for the Hoops.
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