Crystal Palace Academy

Crystal Palace FC runs a Category One academy based in South East London, developing young players through the club’s youth system.

Some of the Academy’s Under-21 home fixtures are played at the VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton — home of Sutton United FC, currently members of the National League.

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

Each year, the club welcomes a new group of scholars into the Academy, marking the start of their journey toward a possible career in the professional game.

Crystal Palace also sends players out on loan to gain experience in men’s football, while academy graduates regularly represent their countries at various age levels, including full international level.

The ultimate goal for every Academy player is to break into Crystal Palace’s first team.

Academy Competitions

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

• U17 & 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.
• Premier League 2 – all 26 Category One academies play in a single Swiss-style league, with entry and removal governed by Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) accreditation criteria.
• U18 Premier League – split into North and South divisions; Crystal Palace’s Under-18s play in the South League.
• Premier League International Cup – UK-based Under-21 sides are grouped with invited European clubs’ development squads, each hosting all four overseas visitors, with the top two in each group advancing to the knockout stage.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.
• Vertu Trophy (EFL Trophy) – a regionalised midweek knockout competition for EFL League One and League Two clubs, plus 16 invited Premier League and Championship clubs with Category One academies.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under the leadership of Academy Director Gary Issott, with Darren Powell as Under-21 Head Coach and Javier Alonso as Under-18 Head Coach.

The Academy’s Higher Education Partner is the University of Greenwich.

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 and released and retained announcement.

Scholars 2025/26

Raihaan Anderson, Makai Bernard-Ferguson, Remi Ahazie-Shittu, Joel Drakes-Thomas, Jacob Fasida, Ajean-Ray Greaves, Oladotun Lamidi, Donte Martin, Jayden McDonald, Aiden Morgan, Daniel Owoade, Thiago Speroni.

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Owen Goodman (Goalkeeper) – Huddersfield Town; Barnsley
• Joe Whitworth (Goalkeeper) – Exeter City
• Danny Imray (Defender) – Blackpool; West Bromwich Albion
• Tayo Adaramola (Defender) – Leyton Orient; Sheffield Wednesday
• Victor Akinwale (Forward) – Eastbourne Borough
• Abdul Ouedraogo (Defender) – SK Beveren U21 / SV Beveren
• David Ozoh (Midfielder) – Derby County
• Jemiah Umolu (Forward) – Bromley
• Hindolo Mustapha (Midfielder) – FC Nürnberg; West Bromwich Albion
• Marcus Hill (Goalkeeper) – Raynes Park
• Jake Grante (Defender) – St Albans City; AFC Totton

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Rio Cardines (Defender, #59), Benjamin Casey (Forward, #73), Joel Drakes-Thomas (Midfielder, #86), Daniel Imray (Defender, #30), Kaden Rodney (Midfielder, #42), George King (Midfielder, #60), Dean Benamar (Defender, #72).

International Players 2025/26

• Platon (FW) – Moldova U15
• Lucca Benetton (GK) – England U16
• Mylo Bernard (FW) – England U16
• Joel Drakes-Thomas (FW) – England U17
• Benji Casey (FW) – England U18
• Dean Benamar (DF) – England U18
• Charlie Walker-Smith (DF) – Wales U19
• Matteo Dashi (MF) – Albania U19
• George King (DF) – Republic of Ireland U19
• Eyimofe Jemide (DF) – England U20
• Rio Cardines (DF) – Trinidad and Tobago First Team
• Owen Goodman (GK) – Canada First Team

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the Premier League International Cup, Palace’s Under-21s have been grouped with Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Nordsjælland, Juventus and Valencia, alongside fellow English sides Fulham, Leicester City and West Brom.

In the Vertu Trophy, the Under-21s were drawn in Southern Group E alongside Bromley, Stevenage and AFC Wimbledon.

Season Timeline

July 2025

• Left-back Khyan Frazer-Williams joined the U18s on a free transfer from AFC Dunstable/Varsity Nine.
• Forward Ademola Ola-Adebomi completed a permanent move to Austrian Bundesliga club WSG Tirol.
• Left wing-back Dean Benamar, an Academy player since Under-14 level, signed his first professional contract.

August 2025

• Winger Malcolm Ebiowei completed a permanent move to Blackpool.
• Goalkeeper Harry Lee joined on a free transfer from Exeter City.
• Defender Tyler Whyte signed his first professional contract.

September 2025

• Franco Umeh completed a permanent transfer to Portsmouth, having joined Palace from Cork City in February 2023.

October 2025

• Crystal Palace’s Under-21s exited the EFL Trophy at the group stage.
• Goalkeeper Lucca Benetton was called up to the England Under-16 squad for the Football Federations Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.

November 2025

• Owen Goodman received his first senior call-up to the Canada Men’s National Team.
• Forward Donte Martin signed his first professional contract.
• Crystal Palace’s U18s were drawn at home against Bradford City in the FA Youth Cup third round.

December 2025

• The U18s were drawn away to the winner of Newcastle United v Portsmouth in the FA Youth Cup fourth round.

January 2026

• Under-21s captain Luke Browne completed a permanent move to Notts County on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
• Crystal Palace’s Under-18s were invited to the Gordon Jago Super Group at the 2026 Dallas Cup in Texas — the club’s first-ever appearance in the tournament.

February 2026

• Makai Bernard-Ferguson signed his first professional contract.

March 2026

• March 2026 – Crystal Palace’s Under-18s withdrew from the 2026 Dallas Cup due to a congested fixture schedule.

2024/25 Season

The 2024/25 campaign was a strong one for the Academy, with the Under-21s reaching the semi-finals of the Premier League 2 play-offs and three players earning Premier League 2 Player of the Month nominations during the season.

A full season review is available from the club.

Scholars 2024/25

Dean Benamar, Benjamin Casey, Euan Danaher, Jasper Judd, Jerome Osei Kyremeh, Jack Mason, David Montjen, Joshua Muwana, Chuks Okoli, Stuart Oduro, Sean Somade, Charlie Walker-Smith, Harry Whitworth.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• David Ozoh (Midfielder) – Derby County
• Tayo Adaramola (Defender) – Stockport County; Bradford City
• Ademola Ola-Adebomi (Forward) – SK Beveren
• Joe Whitworth (Goalkeeper) – Exeter
• Owen Goodman (Goalkeeper) – AFC Wimbledon
• Killian Phillips (Midfielder) – St Mirren
• Jack Wells-Morrison (Midfielder) – Wealdstone; Solihull Moors
• Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Forward) – Sheffield United
• Malcolm Ebiowei (Midfielder) – Oxford United
• Danny Imray (Defender) – Bromley
• Luke Plange (Forward) – HJK Helsinki; Motherwell
• Roshaun Mathurin (Forward) – Hartlepool
• Chris Francis (Defender) – Dagenham & Redbridge
• Jemiah Umolu (Forward) – Port Vale
• Asher Agbinone (Forward) – Gillingham
• Jadan Raymond (Midfielder) – Queens Park FC
• Seán Grehan (Defender) – Bohemians

International Players 2024/25

• Lucca Benetton (GK) – England U15
• Rosen Modev (GK) – Bulgaria U15
• Joel Drake-Thomas (FW) – England U16
• Dean Benamar (DF) – England U17
• Rylan Brownlie (FW) – Australia U18
• Jesse Derry (FW) – England U18, U19
• Charlie Walker-Smith (DF) – Wales U18
• Caleb Kporha (DF) – England U19
• Jake Grante (DF) – Republic of Ireland U19
• Matteo Dashi (MF) – Albania U19
• Kurai Musanhi (DF) – Zimbabwe U20
• Mustapha Hindolo (MF) – Sierra Leone U20
• Dylan Reid (MF) – Scotland U20
• Justin Devenny (MF) – Northern Ireland U21
• Tayo Adaramola (DF) – Republic of Ireland U21
• Killian Phillips (MF) – Republic of Ireland U21; First Team
• Franco Umeh-Chibueze (FW) – Republic of Ireland U21
• Seán Grehan (DF) – Republic of Ireland U21
• Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (FW) – England U21
• Owen Goodman (GK) – England U21
• Rio Cardines (MF) – Trinidad & Tobago First Team
• Hindolo Mustapha (MF) – Sierra Leone First Team

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Asher Agbinone (#68), Justin Devenny (#55), Caleb Kporha (#58), Zach Marsh (#63), Kaden Rodney (#42).

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the Premier League International Cup, Palace’s Under-21s were grouped with RB Leipzig, Anderlecht, Real Sociedad and Sporting CP, alongside fellow English sides Brighton, Chelsea and Southampton.

Season Timeline

September 2024

• David Ozoh, on loan at Derby, faced a spell on the side-lines with a hamstring injury.

October 2024

• Winger Asher Agbinone became the latest Academy graduate to debut for the first team, the 43rd since the early 2000s.

November 2024

• Justin Devenny made his first-team debut against Fulham.
• Crystal Palace’s U18s were drawn against Manchester City in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

December 2024

• Roshaun Mathurin returned to the club at the end of his loan spell, having made 12 appearances during his time away.

February 2025

• Winger Asher Agbinone returned to Crystal Palace from his loan at Gillingham for treatment on a hamstring injury.

March 2025

• Ademola Ola-Adebomi was nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month award for February.
• Rylan Brownlie joined the Academy as a free agent from Brisbane Roar.
• Crystal Palace became the first club to introduce an aftercare programme — a three-year package helping released players build a career outside football.
• Defender George King signed his first professional contract with the club.

April 2025

• Hindolo Mustapha was shortlisted for the PL2 Player of the Month award for March.

May 2025

• Hindolo Mustapha was nominated for the PL2 Player of the Season award.
• Ed Thomas received the 2025 Steve Clarke Trophy for outstanding progress at Under-16 level.
• Hindolo Mustapha was later named the Under-21s’ Player of the Season.

June 2025

• Seb Williams signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace.
• Scholarship offers were extended to Kai-Reece Adams-Collman, Jesse Derry and Tyler Whyte.
• Defender Sean Grehan completed a permanent transfer to Doncaster Rovers.
• The Academy’s season review was published, reflecting on a progressive campaign for the Under-21s.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Cormac Austin (joined Larne FC), Freddie Cowin (joined Bromley B), William Eastwood (joined Chelmsford City), Chimaechi Eze, Chris Francis (joined Oxford City), Joseph Khoshaba, Enrique Lameiras (joined Vitória SC Under-19), Finley Marjoram (joined Folkestone Invicta), Roshaun Mathurin (joined AS Trenčín).

Louie Moulden (joined Norwich City), Kurai Musanhi (joined Colchester United), Killian Phillips (joined St Mirren), Luke Plange (joined Grasshoppers), Jadan Raymond, Caleb Redhead (joined Millwall), Joe Sheridan (joined Penn State, USA), Jack Wells-Morrison.