Cardiff City Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.
Based in Wales, Cardiff City FC runs a category 2 academy.
- Under-21 Head Coach: Darren Purse
- Under-18 Head Coach: Tom Hutton
Cardiff City Retained List 2025
View the complete list of Cardiff City players who have been retained, released, or have returned to their parent clubs following loan spells.
Cardiff City Academy Players Loan Watch 2025/26
Youth players on loan.
- Michael Reindorf (Forward) Newport County; Tamworth
- Luke Armstrong (Goalkeeper) Penybont
- Morgan Wigley (Forward) Barry Town United
- Isaac Jefferies (Forward) The New Saints
- Will Spiers (Forward) Merthyr Town; Eastleigh
- Luey Giles (Defender) Eastleigh
- Dakario Mafico (Midfielder) Yeovil Town
- Troy Perrett (Midfielder) Yeovil Town
- Ewan Griffiths (Goalkeeper) Cardiff Met
- Jake Dennis (Goalkeeper) Merthyr Town
- Jac Thomas (Defender) Merthyr Town
Cardiff City Academy Players in the First Team Squad 2025/26
- Dakario Mafico (Midfielder) #28
- Ronan Kpakio (Defender) #44
- Dylan Lawlor (Defender) #48
- Matthew Turner (Goalkeeper) #41
- Tom Davies (Defender) #39
- Eli King (Midfielder) #24
- Joel Colwill (Midfielder) #27
- Rubin Colwill (Midfielder) #10
- Cian Ashford (Midfielder) #45
- Gabriel Keita (Defender) #50
- Daniel Higgs (Goalkeeper) #51
- Luke Pearce (Forward) #56
- Tanatswa Nyakuhwa (Forward) #29
- Troy Perrett (Midfielder) #52
- Robert Tankiewicz (Midfielder) #55
- T-Jay Parfitt (Defender)#58
- Trey George (Midfielder) #62
- Axel Donczew (Forward) #31
- Noah Williams (Defender) #70
Cardiff City Academy International Players 2025/26
- Noah Anyadike (Midfielder) Wales U16
- Hugo Daniel (Defender) Wales U16: U17
- Paul Moreno (Midfielder) Wales U16
- Gruffydd Evans (Midfielder) Wales U16
- Axel Donczew (Forward) Wales U16; U17
- Dembo Jaiteh (Forward) Wales U16
- Alex Cross (Goalkeeper) Wales U17
- Keano Conaty (Forward) Wales U17
- Robert Tankiewicz (Midfielder) Wales U17
- Jacob Norris (Forward) Wales U17
- Leo Papirynk (Forward) Wales U17
- Josh Itsondo (Forward) Wales U17
- Noah Williams (Defender) Wales U18; U19
- Jack Sykes (Forward) Wales U18
- Hayden Allmark (Midfielder) Wales U18
- Jac Thomas (Defender) Wales U19
- Mannie Barton (Forward) Wales U19
- Tanatswa Nyakuhwa (Forward) Wales U21
- Cian Ashford (Midfielder) Wales U21
- Joel Colwill (Midfielder) Wales U21
- Luey Giles (Defender) Wales U21
- Dakario Mafico (Midfielder) Wales U21
- Luke Armstrong (Goalkeeper) Wales U21
- Ronan Kpakio (Defender) Wales First Team
- Dylan Lawlor (Defender) Wales First Team
- Rubin Colwell (Midfielder) Wales First Team
Cardiff City Academy Competitions
U17 Professional Development League Cup
The U17 Professional Development League Cup is an English youth football tournament created for players aged 17 and under.
U17 PDL Cup Group Stage
Cardiff City U17 will play against Under-17 teams from Walsall, Port Vale and Cheltenham Town.
- Cardiff City U17 won at home against Port Vale U17 (6 – 0)
- Cardiff City U17 drew away against Walsall U17 (0 – 0)
- Cardiff City U17 lost at home against Cheltenham Town U17 (3 – 4)
U18 Professional Development League
The Under-18 Professional Development League is a leading English youth competition for Category Two academies, comprising 20 teams split into North and South regional divisions.
It delivers a high-level development pathway for promising players, combining league competition with a national play-off system.
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U18 Professional Development League Cup
Established for the 2021/22 season, the Professional Development League Cup features 32 teams divided into eight groups of four.
The group winners advance to the knockout stages.
U18 Professional Development League Cup Group Stage
Cardiff City U18 are drawn in Group B against under-18 teams: Swansea City, Swindon Town and Wrexham.
Fixtures Schedule (Group B)
- Match Round 1 (Tuesday 26 August 2025) Wrexham v Cardiff City
- Match Round 2 (Saturday 4 October 2025) Cardiff City v Swindon Town
- Match Round 3 (Saturday 22 November 2025) Cardiff City v Swansea City
- Cardiff City U18 drew away against Wrexham U18 (1 – 1)
- Cardiff City U18 won at home against Swindon Town U18 (5 – 1)
FA Youth Cup
First Round Proper
Cardiff City U18 have been drawn at home against Cheltenham Town U18
- Cardiff City U18 lost at home against Cheltenham Town U18 (0 – 1)
Professional Development League
Professional Development League 2—is England’s main youth competition for Category Two academies. It sits just below Premier League 2, providing Under-21 players with a key pathway toward first-team football.
The league is split into regional North and South divisions, with play-offs determining the national champion, and it offers a highly competitive platform for developing top young talent.
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U21 Premier League Cup
The Premier League Cup was introduced in the 2013/14 season to enhance competition during the Professional Development Phase.
It added a knockout tournament alongside the regular league schedule. For the 2025/26 season, the format features nine groups.
The top team from each group automatically qualifies for the knockout stage, along with the seven best second-placed teams.
U21 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Cardiff City U21 are drawn in Group F against under 21 teams from Burnley, QPR and Stockport County.
- Cardiff City U21 lost at home against Burnley U21 (1 – 2)
- Mannie Barton
- Cardiff City U21 drew away against QPR U21 (2 – 2)
- Troy Perrett
- Dakarai Mafico
- Cardiff City U21 lost away against Burnley U21 (3 – 1)
- Mannie Barton
- Cardiff City U21 won at home against Stockport County Reserves (7 – 2)
- Cody Twose (2)
- Troy Perret (2)
- Matthew Apter
- Trey George
- Mannie Barton
- Cardiff City U21 won at home against QPR U21 (3 – 1)
- Troy Perret
- Tanatswa Nyakuhwa
- Luke Pearce
- Cardiff City U21 lost away against Stockport Reserves (2 – 1)
- Troy Perret
Nathaniel MG Cup (Welsh League Cup)
The Nathaniel MG Cup, currently sponsored under that name, is the Welsh League Cup—a football competition organized by the Football Association of Wales and regarded as the second most prestigious domestic cup in Welsh football after the Welsh Cup.
Cardiff City under-21s participate in this tournament.
First Round
- Cardiff City U21 won away against Amannford (0 – 0) (3 – 0 on pens)
Second Round
- Cardiff City U21 lost away against Cambrian & Clydach (2 – 0)
Cardiff City Academy News
13th June 2025
Activated Extended Contract Options
- Josh Beecher
- Jake Dennis
- Trey George
- Ewan Griffiths
- Luke Pearce
- Michael Reindorf
- Will Spiers
- Morgan Wigley
Cardiff City have offered first professional contracts to the following scholars: Jake Davies, Alyas Debono, Daniel Ola, and Jac Thomas.
In addition, a contract offer has also been made to Isaac Jefferies.
19th June 2025
The Bluebirds have been confirmed as a wildcard entry into this seasons Nathaniel MG Cup for the 2025/26 edition.
3rd July 2025
Charlie O’Brien, formerly of Cobh Ramblers, Gabriel Keita, formerly of Norwich City, and midfielder Matthew Apter from Everton have all joined Cardiff City’s Under-21s.
Winger Isaac Jefferies, who joined the Bluebirds at the age of eight and enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 season with the Under-21s, has signed a new contract with the club.
31st July 2025
17-year-old Mannie Barton has signed his first professional contract with the Bluebirds, having joined Cardiff City at the age of 10.
1st August 2025
Cardiff City U21 have been knocked out of the Nathaniel MG Cup after a 2-0 away defeat to Cambrian & Clydach.
29th August 2025
19-year-old Defender Jack Kingdon has joined Cardiff City U21 after leaving Manchester United in the summer.
22nd September 2025
18-year-old full-back Ronan Kpakio has signed a new contract with Cardiff City, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2029.
7th October 2025
Born in 2010, Axel Donczew made history as Cardiff City’s youngest ever player.
He broke the record set just 64 minutes earlier by Rob Tankiewicz during the Vertu Trophy match against Newport County.
28th October 2025
Cardiff City U18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end with a narrow 1 – 0 defeat at home to Cheltenham Town U18s.
14th January 2026
Morgan Wigley has returned to Cardiff City from his loan at Barry Town United.
2nd January 2026
Cardiff City have completed the permanent signing of Herbie James. The midfielder arrives in south Wales after joining from Manchester City in 2023
Midfielder Isaac Davies completes a permanent move from Nottingham Forest, having featured for Forest’s U18s in the Premier League throughout the current season.