More than 350 junior footballers from right across South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales will converge on Underwood Park this Saturday for the inaugural Liam Miller Cup.
Named in honour of Brisbane Roar Championship-winning midfielder Liam Miller, the tournament will see boys and girls from across the Brisbane Roar Academy’s Skills Training Centres come together for a jam-packed afternoon of football.
The festivities will conclude when Brisbane Roar’s A-League squad faces Football Queensland Premier League outfit Rochedale Rovers at Underwood Park in a pre-season clash from 5:30pm.
The tournament will bring together young footballers from as far north as Fraser Coast through to Port Macquarie.
“The concept is to have players from all our Academy HUBs doing the thing they love and meeting one another with a common denominator – football,” Brisbane Roar Academy Operations Manager Luca Balestrazzi said.
“We wanted to make our Brisbane Roar Academy programs more than just training-based, we wanted to make the programs not only beneficial for the development of young footballers across Queensland, but a place where they enjoy their football, develop relationships and have fun.”
Miller had an esteemed career in the United Kingdom at clubs such as Celtic, Manchester United and Leeds before playing a pivotal role in the Roar’s A-League 2013/14 Championship-winning squad.
He sadly passed away in November 2018 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, aged 36.
“Liam’s contribution to football cannot be overstated and he is fondly remembered by all involved at Brisbane Roar and across the A-League,” Brisbane Roar CEO David Pourre said.
“It will be special to see more than 350 young players coming together, doing what they love together and enjoying the World Game.
“We believe it’s a fitting tribute to Liam’s legacy and we would like to thank the Miller family for allowing this tournament to be named in his honour.”
