Brandon looking to right a wrong against Porto

Young goalkeeper Brandon Austin says our Academy players are determined to “prove a point” against FC Porto in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday.

Our Under-19s are in Portugal for another demanding away trip, with a place in the last eight of the high-profile European competition up for grabs.

Part of the side that slumped to a 2-0 home defeat to Porto in last season’s quarter-finals, Brandon admits the pain of that result is only fuelling the determination of he and his team-mates to get through in this year’s round of 16 clash.

“The preparations have been good,” said the 20-year-old after Tuesday’s training session at Estádio Luís Filipe Menezes – a small stadium that’s part of Porto’s wider training complex in Vila Nova de Gaia where the game will be hosted on Wednesday (11am). “The boys were obviously buzzing after the result against PAOK in the last round, everyone was in high spirits there but you have your little spell where you can enjoy that win and then soon afterwards your heads are on and you’re focused on the next one.

“Porto knocked us out last year so everyone is aware of that coming into this game. It was a difficult one for us all to take back then. You never want to go out of these competitions so it’s a case of taking those feelings and making sure we don’t experience them again. We have to use that to our advantage this time.

“For us, it’s about winning and getting through. We’ve got a really good group this year, the boys have got belief in each other and we believe that we’ve got enough quality and enough talent in the team to go all the way. We’re prepared and motivated to get through to the next round.”

Brandon is one of the squad’s elder statesmen and has captained the team on several occasions in Europe this season.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to show leadership, to help the younger boys and guide them through,” he said. “For some players, it’s their first year playing in the competition and we’ve got a nice mix of ages in the team, so everyone comes in together and helps each other. I’ve enjoyed being one of the so-called ‘senior’ players in the group. It’s another challenge for me, which is good – I believe it’s important to test yourself in all different aspects of the game.

“I’ve played in a lot of matches this year which I’ve enjoyed, but right now the focus is just on taking it one game at a time and looking at a way to get through to the next round. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge here but it’s a great opportunity. We all enjoyed the win in Greece in the play-off round last month and that winning feeling when you’re away from home, in a different environment and experiencing something that you’re not used to every week, it adds that extra bit of buzz. For us all, there’s a big motivation to get through into the next round.”