Sheffield United Academy

Sheffield United FC runs a category 2 academy based in South Yorkshire. They have a strong youth development program that nurtures young talent.

To join the Academy, players who are spotted may be invited to Sheffield United’s Pre-Academy centres, player engagement centre, or Emerging Talent programme, which runs alongside the full Academy.

This helps staff assess whether a player is ready for an eight-week trial.

The Academy can only recruit players within a 60-minute radius of the training ground for the Under-9 to Under-12 age groups, and within 90 minutes for the Under-13 to Under-16 age groups.

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 Premier League Cup – introduced by the Premier League in 2017; 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.
• 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-18 Head Coach Jim O’Brien and Under-21 Head Coach Gary McSheffrey.

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

Ethan Gold (Goalkeeper), Thomas Dearden (Defender), Keehan Barrett-Underwood (Defender), Ben Murray (Midfielder), Marley Parr-Pearson (Midfielder)

Robert Adams (Midfielder), Emmett Morrison (Midfielder), Matthew Poppleton (Forward), Cole Hay (Forward), Charlie Bulmer (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Billy Blacker (Midfielder) – Tranmere Rovers
• Jili Buyabu (Forward) – Forest Green Rovers
• Jamal Baptiste (Defender) – Rotherham United
• Owen Hampson (Midfielder) – Boston United
• Sam Curtis (Defender) – Chesterfield
• Louie Marsh (Forward) – Falkirk
• Zain Tahir (Defender) – Scunthorpe United

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Ryan Oné (Forward, #26).

International Players 2025/26

• Zachary Benjamin (FW) – England U16
• Sydie Peck (MF) – England U21
• Ryan Oné (FW) – Scotland U21
• Andre Brooks (MF) – Jamaica First Team

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Premier League Cup, Sheffield United’s Under-18s were drawn in Group D against Under-18 sides from Chelsea, Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group B against Derby County, Bristol City and Stoke City.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• Sheffield United’s Under-21 and Under-18 pre-season fixture schedules were confirmed ahead of the new campaign.

July 2025

• Eleven players — Max Asante-Boakye, Archie Christie-Crainie, Coby Hewitson, Frankie Jones, Jackson Blaize, Seth Okyere, Zach Giggs, Aaron Reid, Sam Colechin, Siem Eyob-Abraha and Theo Howard — signed their first professional contracts with Sheffield United ahead of the 2025/26 Professional Development League season.
• Striker Jevan Beattie and defender Dovydas Sasnauskas signed long-term deals with the Blades, becoming the latest academy prospects to commit their futures to the club.
• 18-year-old Mihail Polendakov agreed terms to join Sheffield United, with the club paying an undisclosed fee to Septemvri Sofia.
• Antwoine Hackford signed with AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer, agreeing to a two-year deal with the club holding an option to extend by an additional year.

September 2025

• Under-18 defenders Alfie Hough and Keehan Barrett-Underwood, who both joined United from Liverpool’s academy in recent years, signed their first professional contracts with the club.

October 2025

• Blades Academy secured goalkeeper Liam Hall on a professional contract following his departure from Wrexham, joining the Under-21s after impressing during a trial.

November 2025

• Sheffield United’s Under-18s were confirmed to host Ipswich Town in the FA Youth Cup third round proper, with the tie scheduled for Thursday 11 December at Bramall Lane.

December 2025

• Sheffield United’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round, following their tie against Ipswich Town.
• Midfielder Lamine Sidibe signed his first professional contract at Sheffield United.

January 2026

• Defender Sam Colechin signed a new contract with the Blades.

May 2026

• Aaron Reid was named the club’s Scholar of the Year following the annual Premier League Youth Development Conference at Wembley Stadium — an award celebrating an exceptional scholar from each club who has demonstrated excellence across every aspect of the Scholarship Programme.

2024/25 Season

Sheffield United’s Academy enjoyed a strong 2024/25 season, with the Under-18s reaching the final of the U18 Professional Development League Cup.

The Under-21s also reached the Round of 16 of the U21 Premier League Cup and the semi-finals of the U21 Professional Development League play-offs.

Scholars 2024/25

Sam Colechin, Arlo Coubrough, Siem Eyob-Abraha, Franklyn Gordon, Ben Grainger, Alfie Hough, Theo Howard, Jaydon Makhalira, Riley McLachlan, Aaron Reid, Lamine Sidibe, Dylan Tawodzera, Alfie Venners.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Sam Curtis (Defender) – Peterborough United
• Antwoine Hackford (Forward) – Port Vale
• Miguel Freckleton (Defender) – Swindon Town
• Louie Marsh (Forward) – Fleetwood Town
• Dovydas Sasnauskas (Defender) – Buxton
• Jack Waldron (Defender) – Scarborough Athletic

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Louie Marsh (Forward, #34), Andre Brooks (Midfielder, #35), Femi Seriki (Defender, #38), Sydie Peck (Midfielder, #42), Sai Sachdev (Defender, #45), Sam Colechin (Defender, #53).

International Players 2024/25

• Zachary Benjamin – England U15
• Dovydas Sasnauskas (DF) – Lithuania U19
• Zach Giggs (DF) – Wales U19
• Jevan Beattie (FW) – Scotland U19
• Ryan Oné (FW) – Scotland U19; U21
• Oliver Arblaster (MF) – England U20
• Sydie Peck (MF) – England U20
• Sam Curtis (DF) – Republic of Ireland U21
• Owen Hampson (MF) – Wales U21

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, Sheffield United’s Under-18s were drawn in Group D against Under-18 sides from Preston North End, Burnley and Wigan Athletic.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group D against Huddersfield Town, Sunderland and Wolves.

Season Timeline

November 2024

• Sheffield United were drawn at home to Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

December 2024

• Sheffield United’s FA Youth Cup third-round match against Blackburn Rovers was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
• The rescheduled tie against Blackburn Rovers was confirmed for Tuesday 17 December, kicking off at 7pm at York City’s LNER Community Stadium.
• Sheffield United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Blackburn Rovers, and were set to host Derby County in the next round.
• The FA Youth Cup fourth-round tie at home to Derby County was confirmed for Thursday 16 January at the LNER Community Stadium.

January 2025

• Sheffield United’s FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the fourth round, following their tie against Derby County.
• 18-year-old goalkeeper Ryan Andrews transferred from Sheffield United to Al-Jazira’s Under-21s.

March 2025

• Sheffield United’s Under-21s were eliminated from the Premier League Cup, following their tie against Southampton.

May 2025

• Sheffield United’s Under-21s were knocked out in the semi-finals of the U21 Professional Development League play-offs, following their tie against Brentford B.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Development Squad: Harry Boyes (joined Southend United), Ethan Cummings, Mekhi Haughton-Parris (joined University of Kentucky Wildcats), Henry Molyneux (joined Chatham Town).

Scholarship Year 2: Noah Kiwomya, Jaye Long.