Hull City Academy

Hull City FC runs a category 2 academy based in Yorkshire and the Humber. They have a youth development program that nurtures young talent.

The Academy recruits players with exceptional potential, aiming to develop them into future first-team regulars.

Following the Football Association’s Charter of Quality, the Academy prepares players for the club’s future, fostering their progress both on and off the field.

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

Most Hull City Under-21 Academy matches take place at The Dransfield Stadium, home of North Ferriby FC.

Academy Competitions

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

• U17 Professional Development League Cup – an English youth football tournament for players aged 17 and under.
• U18 Professional Development League – a leading English youth competition for Category Two academies, comprising 20 teams split into North and South regional divisions, combining league competition with a national play-off system.
• U18 Professional Development League Cup – established for the 2021/22 season, featuring 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, with group winners advancing to the knockout stages.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional nationwide knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.
• Professional Development League 2 – England’s main Under-21 youth competition for Category Two academies, sitting just below Premier League 2. It is split into regional North and South divisions, with play-offs determining the national champion.
• U21 Premier League Cup – introduced in the 2013/14 season to add a knockout tournament alongside the regular Professional Development Phase league schedule, featuring nine groups with the top team in each group plus the seven best runners-up advancing to the knockout stage.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Under-21 Head Coach Conor Sellars and temporary Under-18 Head Coach Mark Beard.

Full details of players retained, released, or returned from loan following the 2024/25 season can be found on the club’s official retained list.

Scholars 2025/26

Ted Gode, Sasha Gomeniuk, Albert Matique, Bobby Moore, Dellan Robinson, Emmanuel Sarpong, Ekemini Umoren and Alex Edey.

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Rocco Coyle (Midfielder) – Boston United; Scarborough Athletic
• Harry Revill (Defender) – Salisbury
• Tyrell Sellars-Fleming (Forward) – Scunthorpe United; Grimsby Town
• Noah Wadsworth (Defender) – Scarborough Athletic
• Calvin Okike (Defender) – Hartlepool United

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Harry Vaughan (Midfielder, #14), Aidon Shehu (Midfielder, #57), Stanley Ashbee (Defender, #43), Pharrell Brown (Midfielder, #40), Calvin Okike (Defender, #48), Cathal McCarthy (Midfielder, #58).

International Players 2025/26

• Zac Jagielka (FW) – Wales U19
• Coist Walker (DF) – Northern Ireland U19
• Cathal McCarthy (MF) – Ireland U21
• Harry Vaughan (MF) – Ireland U21
• Aidon Shehu (MF) – Albania U21

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Hull City’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Bradford City, Oldham Athletic and Salford City.

For the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group F against Grimsby Town, Barnsley and Preston North End, with fixtures scheduled for 26 August, 4 October and 22 November 2025.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group A against Birmingham City, AFC Bournemouth and Reading.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• Defender Andy Smith made a permanent move to Sky Bet League Two club Gillingham for an undisclosed fee.

November 2025

• Defender Cathal McCarthy and midfielder Harry Vaughan were named in the Ireland Under-21 squad for their upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
• Alex Edey joined Hull City as a free agent; the attacking midfielder signed a scholarship with the Tigers until the end of the 2026/27 season, becoming a first-year scholar under Mark Beard and Kemal Dagli’s Under-18s.

December 2025

• Hull City’s Under-18s were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup in the third round, following their tie against Swansea City at the MKM Stadium.

January 2026

• Noah Wadsworth and Rocco Coyle returned to Hull City following the conclusion of their loan spells with Scarborough Athletic.

February 2026

• Hull City announced the signing of promising goalkeeper Khiani Shombe; the 19-year-old joined the Tigers on an 18-month contract following his release from Southampton, and will join Conor Sellars’ Under-21 squad.
• Three Under-18 players signed their first professional contracts with the club: second-year scholars Ramell Carter and Josh Ocaya, and first-year scholar Bobby Moore, all agreed to two-and-a-half-year deals, with the club holding an option for an additional year on Carter and Ocaya’s contracts.
• Hull City Under-21s winger Zane Myers completed a permanent move to SSE Airtricity League Premier Division side Bohemians for an undisclosed fee.

2024/25 Season

The 2024/25 season saw Hull City’s Academy compete across the full slate of Category Two competitions, including the U17 and U18 Professional Development League Cups, the U21 Premier League Cup, and the FA Youth Cup.

Scholars 2024/25

Twelve players signed two-year scholarships with the Hull Academy for the 2024/25 season: Ramell Carter, Cayden Cole, Oskar Gruszkowski, Jake Hopper

Zac Jagielka, Charlie Leach, Rory Leech, Alfie Maskell, Josh Ocaya, Calvin Okike, Reuben Silk, Jack Topley.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• James Furlong (Forward) – AFC Wimbledon
• Xavier Simons (Midfielder) – Wycombe Wanderers
• Yuriel Celi (Midfielder) – Universitario de Deportes
• Paul Iggulden (Goalkeeper) – Stocksbridge Park Steels
• George Wilson (Goalkeeper) – Stocksbridge Park Steels
• Jevon Mills (Defender) – Bohemians
• Henry Sandat (Forward) – Wealdstone
• Alfie Taylor (Defender) – Grimsby Borough
• Jaedyn Chibanga (Forward) – Grimsby Borough
• Sincere Hall (Forward) – Liversedge
• Kyle Fanning (Defender) – Liversedge
• Cameron Gray (Midfielder) – Brighouse Town
• Jack Leckie (Defender) – Farsley Celtic; Chorley
• Stanley Ashbee (Defender) – Farsley Celtic
• Noah Wadsworth (Defender) – Chester; Boston United
• Andy Smith (Defender) – Gillingham
• Aidan Durkan (Forward) – Beverley Town
• Stan Hewitt (Forward) – Liversedge
• Jake Leake (Defender) – Oldham Athletic
• Cathal McCarthy (Defender) – UCD AFC
• Shea Callister (Goalkeeper) – Brighouse Town
• Tyrell Sellars-Fleming (Forward) – Gateshead
• Owen Foster (Goalkeeper) – Hartlepool United
• Callum Yam (Goalkeeper) – Emley AFC

International Players 2024/25

• Stanley Ashbee (DF) – Ireland U19
• Cayden Cole (DF) – Sierra Leone U20
• James Furlong (FW) – Ireland U21
• Harry Vaughan (MF) – Ireland U21
• Aidon Shehu (MF) – Albania U21

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, Hull City’s Under-18s were drawn in Group C against Under-18 sides from Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City and Barnsley.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group B against Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.

Season Timeline

November 2024

• Hull City were drawn away to Millwall in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
• Hull City’s FA Youth Cup journey came to an end, following their tie away to Millwall.

January 2025

• Notts County secured the signing of winger Will Jarvis from Hull City on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
• Under-21s striker Henry Sandat was recalled from his loan at Wealdstone to complete a permanent move to Sutton United, departing Hull City for an undisclosed fee.
• Hull City were eliminated from the Under-17s Professional Development League Cup at the Round of 16 stage, following their tie against Luton Town.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Under-21s: Shea Callister, Jaedyn Chibanga, Kyle Fanning, Owen Foster, Cameron Gray, Sincere Hall, Brandon Harriman-Annous, Paul Iggulden, Jake Leake (joined Oldham Athletic), Jack Leckie, Jevon Mills, Alfie Taylor, George Wilson.

Under-18s: Joe Batty, Lucas Dawson, Aidan Durkan, Alfie Perry.