Shrewsbury Town Academy

Shrewsbury Town Academy runs a category 3 academy based in Shropshire. They focus on elite youth development to nurture young talent.

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

Academy Competitions

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

• U17 Professional Development League Cup – an English youth football tournament for players aged 17 and under.
• U18 Youth Alliance League – an English youth football competition made up of two regional divisions, serving as the League Two tier within the U18 Professional Development League system.
• U18 Youth Alliance Cup – an EFL-organised youth tournament for Under-18 teams from League One and League Two clubs competing in the EFL Youth Alliance. It follows a format similar to the EFL Trophy, beginning with a regional group stage before progressing to a national knockout phase.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional nationwide knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Charlie Musselwhite and Lead Professional Development Phase Coach Sean McAllister.

Academy talents Isaac Godwin, Joe Morris, Karsten Cairns and Jack Loughran each signed one-year extensions to their contracts.

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

• Joe Morris (Defender) – Stourbridge FC; Kidsgrove Athletic
• Karsten Cairns (Defender) – Darlaston Town (1874); Newcastle Town
• Jack Loughran (Midfielder) – Shifnal Town; Redditch United
• Reuben Falding (Defender) – Newcastle Town; Kidsgrove Athletic
• Shayne Byrne (Midfielder) – Romulus
• Jay Snook (Forward) – Kidsgrove Athletic
• Jeval Thompson-McKenzie (Forward) – Shifnal Town
• Simba Nyamwanza (Forward) – Newcastle Town
• Haydn Lewis (Midfielder) – Kidsgrove Athletic
• Harry Fallon (Midfielder) – Shifnal Town
• Arnold Manseya (Midfielder) – Coventry Sphinx

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Will Gray (Midfielder, #43), Isaac England (Midfielder, #38).

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

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

Season Timeline

August 2025

• 17-year-old central midfielder Isaac England signed his first professional contract with the club, agreeing to a three-year deal at Croud Meadow and taking the number 38 shirt for the 2025/26 season.

October 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-18s’ Youth Alliance Cup campaign came to an end, following their tie against Oldham Athletic.
• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17s booked their spot in the Professional Development League Cup Round of 16, following their tie against Wrexham at Lilleshall.
• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-18s were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup in the first round, following their tie away to Milton Keynes Dons.

November 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17s were drawn away to Crewe Alexandra in the Round of 16 of the U17 Professional Development League Cup, with the fixture scheduled for Wednesday 3 December at Crewe’s training ground.

December 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17 Professional Development League Cup run came to an end, following their tie away to Crewe Alexandra.

2024/25 Season

A proud 2024/25 season for the Shrewsbury Town Academy saw the Under-17s crowned Professional Development League (PDL) Trophy champions.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Luca Whitney (Forward) – Stafford Rangers; Whitchurch Alport
• Jack Loughran (Midfielder) – Whitchurch Alport
• Jeval Thompson-McKenzie (Midfielder) – Romulus FC; Kidsgrove Athletic
• Isaac Godwin (Defender) – Vauxhall Motors; Alvechurch; Newcastle Town
• Findlay Starkey-Jones (Midfielder) – OJM Community Football Club; Whitchurch Alport
• Karsten Cairns (Defender) – Market Drayton; Northwich Victoria
• Zac Prior (Goalkeeper) – Market Drayton; Northwich Victoria
• Joe Morris (Defender) – AFC Telford United; Kidsgrove Athletic
• Simba Nyamwanza (Midfielder) – Northwich Victoria
• Shayne Byrne (Midfielder) – Sutton Coldfield

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Jeval Thompson-McKenzie (Midfielder), Isaac Godwin (Defender, #33), Jack Loughran (Midfielder, #36), Isaac England (Midfielder, #38).

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Youth Alliance Cup, Shrewsbury Town’s Under-18s were drawn in Group 2 against Under-18 sides from Rochdale, Salford City, Port Vale, Stockport County and Wrexham.

Season Timeline

October 2024

• Shrewsbury Town were drawn at home to Coalville Town in the first round of the FA Youth Cup.

November 2024

• Shrewsbury Town advanced to the second round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Coalville Town, and were set to face Chesterfield away in the next round.
• Shrewsbury Town’s FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the second round, following their tie against Chesterfield.

December 2024

• Former academy scholar Cam Morris signed for Australian side Glenorchy Knights following a successful trial.

January 2025

• Tom Bloxham signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Blackpool, with the club holding an option to extend for an additional 12 months; he previously made over 100 first-team appearances for Shrewsbury Town.

February 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-15s secured a spot in the EFL Floodlight Cup quarter-finals, following their tie against Wigan Athletic.

March 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17s secured a spot in the Under-17s PDL Trophy final, following their tie against Burnley.
• Under-18s forward Luca Whitney was nominated for the 2024/25 EFL Apprentice of the Season award.

April 2025

• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17s were set to take on Cardiff City’s Under-17s in the final of the Professional Development League Trophy at Cardiff City Stadium.
• Luca Whitney was shortlisted by the LFE for the EFL League One Apprentice of the Season awards for 2025, an award honouring exceptional young professionals at EFL clubs who have distinguished themselves both on and off the pitch throughout the season.
• First-year scholar Isaac England made his professional debut for his hometown club on Easter Monday, in an away match at Sixfields against Northampton Town; fellow 18-year-old midfielder Jack Loughran also featured in the game, coming off the bench.

May 2025

• Isaac England made his home debut for Shrewsbury Town in EFL League One, coming off the bench late in the second half against Crawley Town.
• Shrewsbury Town’s Under-17s claimed the Premier Development League (PDL) Trophy, following their final against Cardiff City.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Zac Prior, Findlay Starkey-Jones, Luca Whitney.