The Swedish fourth-tier club packed full of young English footballers

Former Garforth Town boss Adie Costello has built an exciting team of young Englishmen ... in an isolated village in Sweden

By Gavin Willacy for Playing in the Shadows

Last Tuesday night three Englishmen scored at the Jämtkraft Arena, a ground where Galatasaray, PAOK Thessaloniki and Hertha Berlin were beaten and Athletic Bilbao were held in the Europa League last season. The efforts of the young Ytterhogdals IK players were in vain as home side Ostersund won 4-3 to progress in the Swedish Cup.

All but five of the Ytterhogdals squad are British. Having come through at Liverpool, Preston North End, Leyton Orient, Grimsby Town, Fleetwood Town, Manchester United, Sunderland and Wolves, they now live together in a hostel in a village 100 miles from the nearest town. They train twice a day and play in the Swedish fourth tier for one of Europe’s strangest clubs.

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