Birmingham City Academy 2025-26

Birmingham City Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.

Birmingham City FC run a category 2 academy based in West Midlands.

  • Head of Academy: Paul Gray
  • Academy Technical Director: Mike Rigg
  • Academy Manager: Louisa Collis
  • Head of Coaching: Mike Scott
  • Under-21 Professional Phase Coach:
  • Under-18 Lead Professional Development Phase Coach: Martyn Olorenshaw

The Blues were officially granted Category One status in May 2025.

Birmingham City Retained List 2025

View the complete list of Birmingham City players who have been retained, released, or have returned to their parent clubs following loan spells.

Birmingham City Scholars 2025/26

  1. Shea Birmingham (Goalkeeper)
  2. Blake Campbell (Defender)
  3. Fynn Hawkeswood (Defender)
  4. Henry Pearsall (Defender)
  5. Isifu Jawara (Defender)
  6. Alex Ranson (Defender)
  7. Mordecai Jones (Defender)
  8. Noah Hoarau (Midfielder)
  9. Taha Elmansuri (Midfielder)
  10. Lorenzo Greer (Midfielder)
  11. Nikoli Degtiarev (Forward)
  12. Connor Reilly (Forward)
  13. Jayden Nunes-Wickham (Forward)
  14. Michael Campbell (Forward)
  15. Denzil Uchenna (Forward)

Birmingham City Academy products in the First Team 2025/26

  1. Dan Isichei (Forward) #42
  2. George Wynne (Midfielder) #47
  3. Menzi Mazwi (Defender) #40
  4. Briar Bateman (Forward) #39
  5. Billy Burrell (Defender) #45
  6. Zaid Betteka (Midfielder) #43
  7. Aurelien Guernier (Forward) #44

Birmingham City Academy Players On Loan 2025/26

Youth players on loan.

  1. Byron Pendleton (Defender) Yeovil Town; Brackley Town
  2. Tyrese Warmington (Goalkeeper) Redditch United
  3. Ben Wodsoku (Forward) Yeovil Town; Brackley Town
  4. Frank Tattum (Forward) Alvechurch; Leamington FC
  5. Tommy Fogarty (Defender) Boston United
  6. Cody Pennington (Midfielder) Redditch United
  7. Alfie Chang (Midfielder) Bristol Rovers
  8. Daniel Isichei (Forward) Tamworth
  9. Cameron Eubank (Midfielder) Maidenhead United
  10. Godfred Boakye (Defender) Sabah FK

Birmingham City Academy International Players 2025/26

  1. Max Pearce (Goalkeeper) England U15
  2. Grandel Boateng (Forward) England U15
  3. Alfie Smith (Goalkeeper) England U16
  4. Oliver Widecki-Estima (Forward) Poland U16
  5. Arijus Ahmadian (Defender) Lithuania U17
  6. Ben Flavell (Midfielder) Malta U18; U19
  7. Billy Burrell (Defender) Ireland U19
  8. Tommy Fogarty (Defender) Northern Ireland U21

Academy Competitions

U18 Premier League

The league divides teams into North and South groups for the U18s, calling it the U18 Premier League.

Birmingham City Under-18 play in the South League

Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.

U18 Premier League South

U17 and U18 Premier League Cup

In 2017, the Premier League introduced the U18 Premier League Cup.

The seven group winners, along with the best runner-up determined by total points, goal difference, and then head-to-head record, will progress to the quarterfinals.

U17 Premier League Cup Group Stage

Birmingham City U17 are drawn in Group B against under 17 teams from Derby County, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.

  1. Birmingham City U17 lost at home against Nottingham Forest U17 (1 – 3)
  2. Birmingham City U17 drew away against Leicester City U17 (2 – 2)
  3. Birmingham City U17 lost away against Derby County U17 (3 – 2)

U18 Premier League Cup Group Stage

Birmingham City U18 are drawn in Group G against under 18 teams from Brighton, Manchester United and Middlesbrough.

  1. Birmingham City U18 lost at home against Middlesbrough U18 (1 – 2)
    • Louie Rea
  2. Birmingham City U18 lost away against Brighton U18 (4 – 0)
  3. Birmingham City U18 lost away against Manchester United U!8 (6 – 0)

FA Youth Cup

Third Round Proper

Birmingham City U18 have been drawn away against Coventry City U18

  1. Birmingham City U18 lost away against Coventry City U18 (4 – 1)
    • Louie Rea

Premier League 2

Starting from the 2023 season, all Category 1 teams compete in a single league using the Swiss-style format.

There are a total of 29 clubs competing in the 2025/26 season.

Entry into or removal from this league depends on meeting the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) accreditation criteria.

Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.

PL2 Top Half
PL2 Bottom Half

U21 Premier League Cup

The Premier League Cup was introduced in the 2013/14 season to enhance competition during the Professional Development Phase.

It added a knockout tournament alongside the regular league schedule. For the 2025/26 season, the format features nine groups.

The top team from each group automatically qualifies for the knockout stage, along with the seven best second-placed teams.

U21 Premier League Cup Group Stage

Birmingham City U21 are drawn in Group A against under 21 teams from AFC Bournemouth, Hull City and Reading.

  1. Birmingham City U21 lost away against Hull City U21 (5 – 1)
    • Alezandro Da Silva
  2. Birmingham City U21 lost at home against Reading U21 (0 – 3)
  3. Birmingham City U21 drew at home against AFC Bournemouth U21 (2 – 2)
    • Menzi Mazwi
    • Cobi Maddox
  4. Birmingham City U21 lost at home against Hull City U21 (0 – 3)
  5. Birmingham City U21 lost away against Reading FC U21 (2 – 0)
  6. Birmingham City U21 drew away against AFC Bournemouth U21 (2 – 2)
    • Trae Briscoe
    • George Wynne

Birmingham Senior Challenge Cup

Second Round

Birmingham City have been drawn against Coleshill Town on 17th November at 7.45 PM. Postponed due to illness in the Birmingham squad.

  1. Birmingham City U21 lost away against Coleshill Town (1 – 0)

Birmingham City Academy News

16th May 2025

Birmingham City youngster Zaid Betteka has signed his first professional contract with the club.

The 18-year-old, who made his first-team debut in January, has agreed a deal that runs until June 2027, with an option to extend for a further year.

The Club has also offered first-year professional contracts to nine other second-year scholars.

23rd May 2025

19-year-old midfielder Cam Eubank has committed his immediate future to Birmingham City by signing a contract that will keep him at the club until June 2026.

10th June 2025

Experienced coach Mark Kennedy appointed as the Club’s new Under-21s Professional Phase Coach at the Blues.

24th June 2025

Peterborough have signed Birmingham City midfielder Brendon Khela on a four year deal with an additional year’s option.

1st July 2025

This is the second season in a row where the entire group of Under-18s have been offered a first professional contracts

Each player has signed one-year professional contracts with an option for a further year:

  1. Tyrese Warmington
  2. Yusuf Ahmed
  3. Alezandro Da Silva
  4. Briar Bateman
  5. Trae Briscoe
  6. Billy Burrell
  7. George Wynne
  8. Caleb Sanders
  9. Szymon Terenowicz

23rd July 2025

Alfons Sampsted scored the decisive goal as the Blues claimed the Arthur Cup with a win over Solihull Moors.

1st September 2025

21-year-old midfielder George Hall has left Birmingham City to join Port Vale for an undisclosed fee.

3rd September 2025

Kurtis Havenhand has left Birmingham City upon the expiration of his contract

29th October 2025

Alfie Smith has been called up for another Three Lions Under-16 camp in Sedi, Türkiye, where they will face Portugal, Türkiye, and Wales.

9th November 2025

Byron Pendleton has been recalled from his loan at Yeovil Town

4th December 2025

Birmingham City U18s will travel to face Coventry City U18 in the FA Youth Cup third round on Monday, December 15 at the CBS Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00 pm.

16th December 2025

Birmingham City U18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round with a 4 – 1 defeat to Coventry U18s.

12th January 2026

The Blues exit the Birmingham Senior Cup after suffering a 1–0 away defeat to Coleshill Town.

30th January 2026

Midfielder Alfie Chang has departed Birmingham City to join Walsall on a permanent transfer.

A product of the Blues Academy, Chang made his senior debut against Fulham in the Carabao Cup in August 2021 and went on to make 21 first-team appearances during his time at St Andrew’s.

17th April 2026

Frank Tattum has been recalled from his loan spell at Leamington after an impressive run, scoring five goals in his last eight appearances for the Brakes.

15th May 2026

Released Players

  1. Yusuf Ahmed
  2. Godfred Boakye
  3. Trae Briscoe
  4. O’Shea Ellis
  5. Cameron Eubank
  6. Tommy Fogarty
  7. Daniel Isichei
  8. Cody Pennington
  9. Frank Tattum
  10. Szymon Terenowicz
  11. Zachary Willis
  12. Ben Wodskou
  13. George Wynne