Manchester United Academy

Manchester United FC runs a category 1 academy based in the North West. They have an elite youth development program that nurtures young talent.

The Academy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account is @academyarenaUTD.

Supporting and trusting young talent is deeply rooted in the history and culture of Manchester United, earning them a global reputation as a leader in youth development.

Academy Competitions

Each season, the Academy competes across the standard slate of competitions for Category One clubs:

• U18 Premier League – split into North and South divisions; Manchester United’s Under-18s play in the North League.
• U17 & U18 Premier League Cup – introduced by the Premier League in 2017 (originally as the U16 Premier League Cup, renamed the U17 Premier League Cup in 2020); seven group winners plus the best runner-up (by points, goal difference, then head-to-head) progress to the quarter-finals.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional nationwide knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.
• Premier League 2 – since 2023, all Category One academies play in a single Swiss-style league, with entry and removal governed by Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) accreditation criteria.
• National League Cup – a 32-team midweek competition comprising 16 Under-21 sides from Premier League 2 and 16 National League club first teams.
• Premier League International Cup – four groups of eight, each combining four UK-based Under-21 sides with four invited overseas development squads; the top two in each group advance to the knockout stage.
• Vertu Trophy (EFL Trophy) – a midweek knockout competition featuring clubs from EFL League One and League Two alongside 16 invited Category One academies, regionalised into northern and southern sections through to the quarter-finals.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Director of Academy Nick Cox, Head of Academy Stephen Torpey, Under-21 Lead Coach Darren Fletcher, and Head of Player Development and Coaching Travis Binnion.

Scholars 2025/26

Noah Ajayi (Forward), Neithan Barbosa (Forward), Nathaniel-Junior Brown (Forward), Yuel Helafu (Defender), Eddie Ibrovic-Fletcher (Midfielder), Louie Bradbury (Forward), Rafe McCormack (Defender)

Jay McEvoy (Midfielder), Jayden Ngwashi (Defender), Jariyah Shah (Midfielder), Jacob Watson (Defender), Zachary Watson (Goalkeeper) and Charlie Hardy (Goalkeeper).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Sonny Aljofree (Defender) – Notts County
• Habeeb Ogunneye (Defender) – Newport County
• Dan Gore (Midfielder) – Rotherham
• Joe Hugill (Forward) – Barnet
• Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) – Shrewsbury Town
• Jack Moorhouse (Midfielder) – Leyton Orient
• Toby Collyer (Midfielder) – West Bromwich Albion; Hull City
• Ethan Wheatley (Forward) – Northampton Town
• Ethan Ennis (Forward) – Fleetwood Town
• Harry Amass (Defender) – Sheffield Wednesday; Norwich City
• Enzo Kana-Biyik (Forward) – FC Lausanne-Sport
• Louis Jackson (Defender) – Solihull Moors
• James Scanlon (Midfielder) – Swindon Town
• Jacob Devaney (Midfielder) – St Mirren

International Players 2025/26

• Joe Deighton (Defender) – Wales U16
• Joseph Gabriel (Forward) – England U16
• Joseph Deighton (Defender) – England U16
• Bendito Mantato (Midfielder) – England U17; U18
• Noah Ajayi (Forward) – Germany U18
• Tyler Fletcher (Midfielder) – Scotland U19
• James Overy (Defender) – Scotland U19; Australia First Team
• Harry Amass (Defender) – England U19
• Will Murdock (Goalkeeper) – Northern Ireland U19
• Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) – England U20; U21
• Ayden Heaven (Defender) – England U20
• Ethan Wheatley (Forward) – England U20
• Shea Lacey (Midfielder) – England U20
• Jacob Devaney (Defender) – Ireland U21
• Jack Moorhouse (Midfielder) – Ireland U21
• Gabriele Biancheri (Forward) – Wales U21

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Premier League Cup, Manchester United’s Under-17s were drawn in Group E against Blackburn, Burnley and Stoke City.

In the U18 Premier League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group G against Brighton, Birmingham City and Middlesbrough, before progressing through the quarter-final against West Brom to the semi-final against West Ham.

The Under-18s were drawn at home against Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Youth Cup, followed by a home tie against Derby County in the fourth round.

They then faced Oxford United away in the fifth round, before being set to meet the winner of Sunderland or Brighton & Hove Albion in the quarter-finals.

Manchester United’s Under-21s were placed in Group A of the second edition of the National League Cup, drawn against Brackley Town, Rochdale, Solihull Moors and Tamworth, with all matches played away from home.

In the Premier League International Cup, Manchester United were drawn in Group D against Athletic Club, Borussia Dortmund, Anderlecht and Sporting CP, alongside fellow UK sides Leeds United, Sunderland and West Ham.

In the Vertu Trophy, the Under-21s were drawn into Northern Group D alongside Barnsley, Lincoln City and Notts County.

Gabriele Biancheri was nominated for Premier League 2 Player of the Month for October 2025, while Sam Mather received a nomination for March 2026.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• 18-year-old centre-back Reece Munro signed his first professional contract with Manchester United.
• Manchester United added another talented prospect to their ranks by signing 16-year-old England youth international Harley Emsden-James from Southampton.
• Left-back Sam Murray signed with National League side Carlisle United following his release from Manchester United earlier that summer.

July 2025

• The Manchester United PDP squad travelled to Germany for a training camp at adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach.
• Manchester United confirmed the signing of promising young talent Enzo Kana-Biyik from Le Havre; the 18-year-old joined on a free transfer and was immediately sent on loan to Swiss side Lausanne-Sport to support his development with regular first-team experience.
• Manchester United’s academy pre-season schedule was confirmed, with the Under-18s facing Norwich, Swansea and Watford, and the Under-21s set to play Charlton, Fleetwood and Rochdale.

August 2025

• Manchester United’s Under-16s travelled to Hong Kong for that year’s JC Youth Football Academy Summit, set to face the Premier Youth League Select side and the Hong Kong, China U16 Representative Team.

September 2025

• Stephen Torpey officially began his role as Manchester United’s new Academy Director, having joined the club from Brentford following the announcement in August that he would succeed Nick Cox in the position.
• Goalkeeper Tom Wooster joined West Ham United’s development squad after having spent four years at Manchester United.

October 2025

• Manchester United’s head of academy recruitment, Luke Fedorenko, was set to depart the club; the 35-year-old had been instrumental in securing key youth talents and played a major part in shaping the club’s youth development alongside Nick Cox.
• Forward Bendito Mantato was called up to the England U17 squad for the 2025 World Cup in Qatar.
• Academy forward Joseph Gabriel earned a call-up to the England Under-16 squad for the upcoming Football Federations Cup in Antalya, Türkiye. Manchester United signed 16-year-old goalkeeper Charlie Hardy from Championship side Derby County, with the youngster joining Darren Fletcher’s Under-18 squad.

November 2025

• Midfielders Jack Moorhouse and Jacob Devaney were named in the Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
• 17-year-old Manchester United academy defender James Overy received a call-up to the Australian men’s senior national team. Manchester United academy players Elyh Harrison, Shea Lacey and Ethan Wheatley received a call-up to the England U20 squad ahead of their upcoming match against Japan at Doncaster Rovers.
• Goalkeeper Elyh Harrison was added to Lee Carsley’s England U21 squad.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s were set to host Peterborough United in the FA Youth Cup third round proper on Tuesday 9 December, with kick-off at 7:00pm.

December 2025

• Manchester United’s Under-18s were set to face West Bromwich Albion away from home in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup, with the match scheduled for Tuesday 10 February 2026.
• Jack Fletcher made his Premier League debut in Aston Villa’s match against Manchester United; he is the son of five-time Premier League winner Darren Fletcher, with his twin brother Tyler also part of the Manchester United Academy.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s were set to welcome Derby County to Old Trafford for their fourth-round tie on Friday 23 January, with kick-off at 7pm.

January 2026

• Manchester United formally approved the permanent exit of academy forward Sam Mather, with the 21-year-old completing a move to Turkish Süper Lig club Kayserispor, bringing an end to Mather’s 14-year spell with the Red Devils.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their home tie against Derby County’s Under-18s, and were set to face Oxford United.

February 2026

• Manchester United completed the signing of young goalkeeper Solomon Honor, with the highly rated academy talent leaving Blackburn Rovers to join United’s Under-21s squad.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s reached the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals, following their tie against Oxford United, and were set to face either Sunderland or Brighton & Hove Albion in the last eight, with the tie scheduled to be played by 14 March.

March 2026

• Darren Hughes was appointed Head of Academy Football Development at Manchester United, joining after 12 years with Manchester City, where he held a number of roles within the club’s academy.

2024/25 Season

A proud 2024/25 season for the Manchester United Academy saw the club crowned U15 Premier League Floodlit Cup National Winners.

They also reached the semi-finals of the U17 Premier League Cup, the quarter-finals of the U18 Premier League Cup and the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

The Academy reached the semi-finals of the Premier League 2 Play-offs and the quarter-finals of the National League Cup.

Manchester United’s Academy Under-18s were crowned Premier League National champions for the 2023/24 season, following their final against Chelsea.

Scholars 2024/25

Ten players received scholarships, aiming to follow the success of the previous season’s Under-18 team, who became Premier League National champions: Cameron Byrne-Hughes (Goalkeeper)

Fred Heath (Goalkeeper), Albert Mills (Defender), Daniel Armer (Defender), Dante Plunkett (Defender), Godwill Kukonki (Defender), Amir Ibragimov (Midfielder), James Bailey (Midfielder), Jim Thwaites (Midfielder) and Bendito Mantato (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Joe Hugill (Forward) – Wigan Athletic
• Tom Wooster (Goalkeeper) – Farsley Athletic
• Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) – Chester
• Radek Vitek (Goalkeeper) – Blau Weiss Linz
• Rhys Bennett (Defender) – Fleetwood Town
• Sonny Aljofree (Defender) – Accrington Stanley
• James Nolan (Defender) – Inverness Caledonian Thistle
• Tom Myles (Goalkeeper) – Runcorn Linnets
• Ethan Williams (Forward) – Cheltenham Town
• Ethan Ennis (Forward) – Doncaster
• Ethan Wheatley (Forward) – Walsall
• Jack Kingdom (Defender) – Rochdale
• Dan Gore (Midfielder) – Rotherham United

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Ayden Heaven (Defender, #26), Harry Amass (Defender, #41), Sekou Kone (Midfielder, #42), Toby Collyer (Midfielder, #43), Kobbie Mainoo (Midfielder, #37), Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper, #50)

Tyler Fredricson (Defender, #55), Chido Obi-Martin (Forward, #56), Jack Fletcher (Midfielder, #57), Jack Lee Moorhouse (Midfielder, #64) and Jayce Fitzgerald (Midfielder, #75).

International Players 2024/25

• Douka Nkoto Abdoulaye (Forward) – England U15
• Bassirou Abdoulaye – England U15 Camp
• Darlington Osuchukwu (Goalkeeper) – England U16
• Jacob Watson (Forward) – England U16
• Harlem Mclaughlin (Midfielder) – Scotland U16
• Edward Ibrovic-Fletcher (Midfielder) – Serbia U17
• Luca Scanlon (Midfielder) – Gibraltar U17
• Louie Bradbury (Forward) – Wales U17
• Connor Thorley (Forward) – Wales U17
• Jayden Ngwashi (Defender) – England U17
• Bendito Mantato (Defender) – England U17
• Godwill Kukonki (Defender) – England U17
• Jack Fletcher (Midfielder) – England U17; U18
• Harry Amass (Defender) – England U17; U18
• Samuel Lusale (Forward) – Slovakia U18
• Chido Obi-Martin (Forward) – Denmark U18
• Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) – England U18; U19; U20
• Ethan Wheatley (Forward) – England U18; U19
• Tyler Fletcher (Midfielder) – Scotland U19
• Daniel Armer (Defender) – Scotland U19
• Gabriele Biancheri (Forward) – Wales U19; Canada First Team
• Jacob Devaney (Midfielder) – Ireland U19
• Zach Baumann (Midfielder) – Ukraine U19
• Tobias Collyer (Midfielder) – England U20
• Sekou Kone (Midfielder) – Mali U20
• James Scanlon (Forward) – Gibraltar First Team

Young full-back Harry Amass and midfielder Jack Fletcher were named in the Under-17 European Championship squad in Cyprus.

Elyh Harrison and Ethan Wheatley were included in the U18s England squad for the Tri-Nations Trophy at St George’s Park.

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Premier League Cup, Manchester United’s Under-17s were drawn in Group G against Stoke City, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, before progressing through the quarter-final against Newcastle United to the semi-final against Charlton Athletic.

For the U18 Premier League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group B against Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, before progressing to the quarter-final against West Ham.

In Premier League 2, the Under-21s were drawn against Everton in the round of 16, before progressing through the play-off quarter-final against West Ham to the semi-final against Manchester City.

Manchester United’s Under-21s were placed in Group B of the inaugural National League Cup, drawn against Altrincham, Forest Green Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Rochdale, with all matches played away from home.

They progressed to the quarter-finals against Sutton United, where their run in the competition ended.

In the Premier League International Cup, the Under-21s were drawn against Hertha BSC, FC Nordsjaelland, PSV and AC Sparta Praha, alongside fellow UK sides Liverpool, Fulham and Norwich City.

Season Timeline

September 2024

• Jack Fletcher was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for August 2024. Louie Bradbury scored a hat-trick for Wales U17 against Gibraltar.
• Malian international defensive midfielder Sékou Koné joined the Manchester United academy after his transfer from Guidars FC.
• Rhys Bennett scored his first-ever senior goal for Fleetwood Town.
• Manchester United’s transfer of Samuel Lusale from Crystal Palace was completed after receiving FA approval. James Overy, a 17-year-old former right-back for Perth Glory, joined the Manchester United Academy.
• Chido Obi-Martin completed his Manchester United transfer.

October 2024

• Nineteen-year-old Maxi Oyedele made his debut for Poland’s senior national team in a match against Portugal, following his recent transfer from Manchester United to Legia Warszawa.
• Manchester United’s Under-16s claimed the 2024/25 Premier League National Shield, following their final against Fulham.
• Three young players — Habeeb Ogunneye, Jack Kingdon, and Ethan Williams — trained with the Ratcliffe-owned Swiss club Lausanne-Sport for a week.

November 2024

• In the third round of the FA Youth Cup, Manchester United were drawn at home to Coventry City.
• Manchester United progressed to the quarter-finals of the U18 Premier League Cup.
• Chido Obi-Martin signed his first professional contract with Manchester United after turning 17; he also set a new record as the all-time leading scorer in Premier League U18 history in a match against Stoke City.

December 2024

• Manchester United’s Under-18s advanced to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Coventry City, and were set to face Preston North End in the next round.
• Manchester United secured midfielder Jim Thwaites on a long-term contract; the 17-year-old had been a standout performer for the Under-18s team that season, contributing across the campaign to support United’s unbeaten run.

January 2025

• Joe Hugill returned to Manchester United after spending the first half of the season with the Latics, having made 18 appearances across all competitions during his time at the Brick Community Stadium.
• The FA Youth Cup fifth round draw took place.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s secured their place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Preston North End.
• Every Manchester United men’s academy team, from the Under-15s to the Under-21s, secured victories over the weekend.
• Manchester United’s Under-17s overturned a deficit to progress in the PL Cup quarter-finals, following their tie against Newcastle.

February 2025

• Sam Mather was shortlisted for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for January 2025.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Chelsea’s Under-18s, and were set to face Arsenal away in the quarter-finals.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie away at Arsenal.

March 2025

• Harry Amass made his Manchester United debut against Leicester City, coming on as a second-half substitute; the former Watford youngster had been named in the matchday squad 16 times before finally making his first appearance.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s were set to play Aston Villa’s Under-18s in the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup at Villa Park on Monday 31 March.
• Manchester United’s Under-18s exited the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

April 2025

• Amir Ibragimov signed his first professional contract for Manchester United.
• In the Premier League 2 round of 16, Manchester United’s Under-21s were set to take on Everton’s Under-21s, with the match scheduled for 25 April.
• Manchester United’s Under-21s booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier League 2 knockout stage, following their tie against Everton’s Under-21s.
• Manchester United’s Under-21s were set to host West Ham’s Under-21s in the Premier League 2 knockout stage quarter-finals on Monday 5 May.

May 2025

• Manchester United’s Under-21s secured a place in the Premier League 2 play-off semi-finals, following their tie against West Ham’s Under-21s.
• Manchester United’s Under-21s were knocked out of the Premier League 2 play-offs, following their tie away to Manchester City in the semi-finals.
• 12 academy players were part of the first-team squad heading to the Asian end-of-season tour 2025, representing the young Reds: defenders Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Tyler Fredricson, Jaydan Kamason, and Godwill Kukonki; midfielders Toby Collyer, Tyler Fletcher, Sekou Kone, Jack Moorhouse, and Jim Thwaites; and forwards Shea Lacey and Chido.

June 2025

• James Scanlon netted his second international goal for Gibraltar in a World Cup qualifying Group L match against the Faroe Islands.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Sam Murray (joined Carlisle United), Tom Myles (joined Rochdale).