Huddersfield Town Academy

Huddersfield Town Academy runs a category 2 academy based in West Yorkshire. They focus on elite youth development to nurture young talent.

Some B Team games are played at the John Smith’s Stadium.

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

Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, the club was awarded Category Two status under the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), having previously operated at Category Three level.

Securing Category Two status just a year after reopening its full academy is a remarkable achievement, highlighting the outstanding work carried out by the academy staff at Canalside.

Huddersfield Town’s values and aspirations ensure every new player, parent and staff member shares the club’s vision — building a clear project that provides a sustainable pathway for homegrown young Terriers.

“As with all Academy players, our job is to provide them a platform from which they can grow and succeed both on and off the field. With the coaching programme we have devised, facilities available and care provided, we’re confident of doing just that.” — Huddersfield Town Academy Manager Jon Worthington.

Academy Competitions

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

• 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.
• 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.
• U18 Youth Alliance Cup – an EFL-organised youth tournament for Under-18 teams from League One and League Two clubs, contested by Huddersfield Town during its time as a Category Three academy, following a regional group stage before a national knockout phase.
• Central League Cup – a reserve-team competition contested by Huddersfield Town’s Reserves during its time as a Category Three academy, in which entrants were divided into groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Jon Worthington, Under-21 Lead Coach Michael Tonge, and Academy Goalkeeping Coach Neil Bennett.

In November 2025, club legend Jonathan Hogg returned to Huddersfield Town in a new Academy role, mentoring the Under-21 side on the field as they transition toward first-team football.

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

Grant Amah (Defender), Hasan Niksic (Defender), Bobby Escritt (Midfielder), Karamveer Cheema (Midfielder), James Hughes (Midfielder), Jamie Spencer (Midfielder), Michael Onyeka (Forward), Patrick Key (Forward), Harrison Wilson (Midfielder).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Tom Iorpenda (Midfielder) – Notts County
• Francis Hurl (Goalkeeper) – Whitehawk FC
• Alex Walpole (Goalkeeper) – Ossett United; Emley AFC
• Mo Fikri (Forward) – Golcar United
• Hugo Bennett (Goalkeeper) – Golcar United
• Max Murray (Defender) – Curzon Ashton
• George Sebine (Forward) – Curzon Ashton
• Ian Togo (Defender) – Trafford
• Omari Mrisho (Defender) – Sutton United
• Neo Eccleston (Defender) – Grimsby Town
• Luke Daley (Defender) – Radcliffe
• Sahil Bashir (Forward) – Al-Markhiya SC
• Peter Thomas (Forward) – Scarborough Athletic
• Ellis Litherland (Goalkeeper) – Bromsgrove Sporting
• Luke Schofield (Midfielder) – Golcar United
• Jay Sway (Defender) – Hartlepool United

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Jay Smith-Sway (Defender, #37), Cameron Ashia (Midfielder, #34), Dan Vost (Midfielder, #38), George Iorpenda (Defender, #39), George Sebine (Forward, #42), Omari Mrisho (Defender, #44).

International Players 2025/26

• Francis Hurl (GK) – Northern Ireland U21
• Luke Schofield (MF) – Gibraltar U19

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Huddersfield Town’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Shrewsbury Town, Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• Defender Loick Ayina joined Salford City on a two-year contract, following a six-year spell at Huddersfield Town.

July 2025

• Huddersfield defender Neo Eccleston agreed to a one-year contract extension, committing his future to the club until the end of June 2026.
• 21-year-old Brodie Spencer signed for Oxford United on a permanent basis.

August 2025

• Huddersfield Town Academy trio — goalkeeper Alex Walpole, defender Jay Sway, and midfielder Oliver Calland — each signed their first professional contracts with the club, while Max Murray, George Iorpenda, Ian Togo, George Sebine, Jackson Shorrocks and Brooklyn Bailey all signed contracts with the Academy and joined Michael Tonge’s Under-21s squad.
• 19-year-old winger Sahil Bashir joined Huddersfield Town’s Under-21 Academy squad following his recent departure from Brighton & Hove Albion.

September 2025

• Huddersfield Town signed 21-year-old goalkeeper Ellis Litherland from Bolton Wanderers, where he had gained experience on loan with Lower Breck, Atherton Collieries, Bamber Bridge and Matlock Town.

October 2025

• Huddersfield Town’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end, following their tie away to Rotherham United.

November 2025

• Town legend Jonathan Hogg returned to the club to mentor the Under-21s as they prepare for first-team football.

January 2026

• Academy forward Jamie Spencer signed his first professional contract with Huddersfield Town.

April 2026

• George Sebine made his senior league debut against Reading FC.

2024/25 Season

The 2024/25 season saw Huddersfield Town, then competing as a Category Three academy, reach the Round of 32 of the U17 Professional Development League Plate and the final of the Central League Cup, where the Under-21s finished as runners-up.

Scholars 2024/25

Hugo Bennett (Goalkeeper), Gabriano Shelton (Defender), Nicolas Idemudia (Defender), Joe Nicholson (Defender), Marlie Neil (Midfielder), Luke Schofield (Midfielder), Milkyas Mebrathu (Midfielder), Mohammed Fikri (Forward), Zac Bowker (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Neo Eccleston (Defender) – Barrow
• Kian Harratt (Forward) – Fleetwood Town
• Eko Solomon (Defender) – Harrogate Town
• Connor Falls (Forward) – Curzon Ashton
• Daniel Vost (Midfielder) – Warrington
• Oliver Riva (Goalkeeper) – Sheffield FC
• Scott High (Midfielder) – Halifax Town

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Tom Iorpenda (Midfielder, #28), Cameron Ashia (Midfielder, #34), Daniel Vost (Midfielder, #36).

International Players 2024/25

Marlie Neil (Midfielder) – Wales U17.

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Youth Alliance Cup, Huddersfield Town’s Under-18s were drawn in Group C against Under-18 sides from Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Harrogate Town, Hartlepool United and Bradford City.

For the Central League Cup, Huddersfield Town’s Reserves were drawn in Group C against Reserve sides from Accrington Stanley, Bolton Wanderers, Rotherham United and Salford City.

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

Season Timeline

October 2024

• Huddersfield Town were drawn away to Salford City in the first round of the FA Youth Cup.
• Huddersfield Town’s FA Youth Cup journey came to an end, following their tie away to Salford City.

December 2024

• Huddersfield secured qualification to the next round of the Central League Cup.

January 2025

• Kian Harratt made a permanent switch to the Fylde Coast, following his initial loan to Fleetwood Town.
• Neo Eccleston returned to Huddersfield Town following his loan spell at Barrow.

February 2025

• Marlie Neil signed his first professional contract with Huddersfield Town, securing a deal until June 2027.

April 2025

• Huddersfield Town B’s Central League Cup campaign came to an end in the final, following their tie against Mansfield Town’s Under-21s at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Eight players from Huddersfield Town’s B Team and Under-18 squads were not offered new contracts and left the club.