Crewe Alexandra Academy

Crewe Alexandra FC runs a category 2 academy based in Cheshire. They have a strong youth development program that nurtures young talent.

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

In April 2026, Crewe Alexandra announced it had begun a restructuring of its academy setup to help ensure its long-term success, having operated as an EPPP Category Two academy since 2011.

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.
• Cheshire Senior Cup – a county knockout competition contested by Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s alongside sides from across Cheshire.
• 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.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Aidan Callan and U18 Manager David Vaughan.

It has already been a landmark campaign, with the Under-17s crowned U17 Professional Development League Cup champions.

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.

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Finlay Roberts (Forward) – Chester
• Zac Williams (Defender) – Kilmarnock
• Jordan Hodkin (Forward) – Leek Town

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Tom Booth (Goalkeeper, #1), Owen Lunt (Midfielder, #19), Calum Agius (Forward, #20), Jordan Hodkin (Forward, #27), Stan Dancey (Defender, #30), Luca Moore (Midfielder, #32), Oliver Armstrong (Midfielder, #34).

International Players 2025/26

• Sonny Peyton (DF) – Wales U16
• Patrick Mlynarski (FW) – Wales U18
• Zac Williams (DF) – Wales U21
• Callum Agius (FW) – Wales U21

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Crewe Alexandra’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Notts County, Lincoln City and Burton Albion.

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group G against Bolton Wanderers, Coventry City and Port Vale, with fixtures scheduled for 26 August, 4 October and 22 November 2025.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• Academy prospect Owen Lunt committed to another 12 months with the club.

October 2025

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s advanced to the second round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Notts County.

November 2025

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s were confirmed to host FC Halifax Town in the FA Youth Cup second round proper, with kick-off scheduled for Wednesday 19 November.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s hosted Barnton in the first round of the Cheshire Senior Cup.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-17s were drawn at home against Shrewsbury Town in the Round of 16 of the U17 Professional Development League Cup, with the tie scheduled for Wednesday 3 December at the club’s training ground.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end, following their tie against FC Halifax Town.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s travelled away to Ashville in the second round of the Cheshire Senior Cup, progressing to a quarter-final tie against Macclesfield Town.
• Sam Pettitt was appointed the new Head of Coaching at Crewe Alexandra; the 35-year-old, who has spent nearly a decade in the academy, had served as Under-18s Assistant Manager since 2023.

January 2026

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s were set to play Macclesfield Town away in the quarter-final of the Cheshire Senior Cup, on Tuesday 20 January.

April 2026

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-17s were crowned Under-17s Professional Development League Cup champions, staging an impressive comeback before prevailing on penalties at Edgeley Park.

2024/25 Season

A proud season for the Crewe Alexandra Academy saw the Under-17s reach the quarter-finals of the U17 Professional Development League Cup.

Scholars 2024/25

Dominic James (Goalkeeper), Billy Baker (Defender), Ayden Thorpe (Defender), Francis Leather (Defender), Isaac Irwin (Defender), Owen Taylor (Midfielder), Alfie Jones-Mellor (Midfielder)

Iago Scott Abel (Midfielder), Patrick Mlynarski (Forward), Ethan Roberts (Forward), Ffranc Vaughan Evans (Forward), Francis Church (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Charlie Finney (Midfielder) – Buxton
• Finlay Roberts (Forward) – Chester FC
• Owen Lunt (Midfielder) – Southport
• Lucas Sant (Defender) – Hanley Town
• Calum Agius (Forward) – Marine FC

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Matus Holicek (Midfielder, #17), Owen Lunt (Midfielder, #19), Calum Agius (Forward, #20), Finlay Roberts (Forward, #21), Stan Dancey (Defender, #22), Lewis Billington (Defender, #28)

Mikolaj Lenarcik (Goalkeeper, #31), Luca Moore (Midfielder, #32), Oliver Armstrong (Midfielder, #33), Will Perry (Midfielder, #34), Joe Collins (Goalkeeper, #36).

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s were drawn in Group B against Under-18 sides from Wrexham, Fleetwood Town and Bolton Wanderers.

Season Timeline

October 2024

• Crewe Alexandra were drawn away to Solihull Moors in the first round of the FA Youth Cup.

November 2024

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s secured a place in the second round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Solihull Moors.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s were drawn at home to Blackpool in the second round of the FA Youth Cup, with the match set for Thursday 21 November at the Mornflake Stadium.
• The second-round tie against Blackpool was postponed, with a new date to be announced in due course.
• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s second-round FA Youth Cup tie against Blackpool was rearranged for Wednesday 27 November at the Mornflake Stadium.
• In the third round of the FA Youth Cup, Crewe Alexandra were drawn away to Luton Town, following their tie against Blackpool.

December 2024

• The FA Youth Cup third-round match against Luton Town was confirmed for Friday 13 December at Kenilworth Road.
• Crewe Alexandra secured their spot in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Luton Town, and were drawn against Watford in the next round.

January 2025

• Crewe Alexandra’s Under-18s were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie away to Watford.

May 2025

• Crewe Alexandra offered professional contracts to four players: Oliver Armstrong, Stan Dancey, Jordan Hodkin and Luca Moore.
• Josh Ashe won the 2024/25 LFE Goal of the Season award, having previously been named LFE Goal of the Month for November.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Josh Ashe, Ben Calder, Joe Collins, Seb Drummond, Ben Furlong, Callum Hardy, Miki Lenarcik, Will Perry, Xavier Smith.