Loughborough's Caolan Dobney shines in Northern Ireland's Euro's Futsal qualifiers

Student Caolan Dobney playing futsal for Northern Ireland

Dobney playing in the Northern Ireland futsal team

During the recent international futsal break, Caolan Dobney, a current student at Loughborough University, proudly represented Northern Ireland in the Euro's qualifier round.

On April 9th, Caolan made his official debut for the Northern Ireland national futsal team in a match against Andorra. Despite conceding a goal in the first minute, Andorra quickly turned the game around and took the lead. With just two minutes remaining, Caolan scored a crucial goal to level the game. However, Andorra scored again with only 20 seconds left, making Caolan’s debut bittersweet.

Dobney travelled to Cyprus with his team to compete against Andorra, Cyprus, and Estonia and played in three consecutive official games.

Dobney's selection to the Northern Ireland team is a significant achievement, showcasing his exceptional talent and skill in futsal. His participation in the Euro's qualifier round is a testament to his dedication and hard work in the sport.

The international futsal break gathers some of the best futsal players worldwide, providing an excellent opportunity for young talents like Dobney to showcase their abilities and gain valuable experience in a highly competitive environment.

The Loughborough family takes great pride in Caolan's accomplishments during his 14 months at the club. He supported the development team in his first season and significantly impacted the first team. His exceptional abilities were highlighted when he was awarded Man of the Match in the TNT match against Derby Futsal just a week before his trip to Cyprus.

Jose Llorente, Head Coach of Loughborough Futsal, praised Caolan, saying, "Caolan is a highly skilled player with immense potential. Despite his young age, playing at an international level will provide invaluable experience that will benefit our club. While he is still a raw talent, with further polishing, he can become a valuable asset to the team."