Highlights from the Manchester United Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.
Based in the North West, Manchester United FC runs a category 1 academy
- Director of Academy: Nick Cox
- Head of Academy: Stephen Torpey
- Under-21 Lead Coach: Darren Fletcher
- Head of Player Development and Coaching: Travis Binnion
Manchester United Scholars 2025/26
- Noah Ajayi (Forward)
- Neithan Barbosa (Forward)
- Nathaniel-Junior Brown (Forward)
- Yuel Helafu (Defender)
- Eddie Ibrovic-Fletcher (Midfielder)
- Louie Bradbury (Forward)
- Rafe McCormack (Defender)
- Jay McEvoy (Midfielder)
- Jayden Ngwashi (Defender)
- Jariyah Shah (Midfielder)
- Jacob Watson (Defender)
- Zachary Watson (Goalkeeper)
- Charlie Hardy (Goalkeeper)
Manchester United Academy Players On Loan 2025/26
Youth players on loan.
- Sonny Aljofree (Defender) Notts County
- Habeeb Ogunneye (Defender) Newport County
- Dan Gore (Midfielder) Rotherham
- Joe Hugill (Forward) Barnet
- Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) Shrewsbury Town
- Jack Moorhouse (Midfielder) Leyton Orient
- Toby Collyer (Midfielder) West Bromwich Albion; Hull City
- Ethan Wheatley (Forward) Northampton Town
- Ethan Ennis (Forward) Fleetwood Town
- Harry Amass (Defender) Sheffield Wednesday; Norwich City
- Enzo Kana-Biyik (Forward) FC Lausanne-Sport
- Louis Jackson (Defender) Solihull Moors
- James Scanlon (Midfielder) Swindon Town
- Jacob Devaney (Midfielder) St Mirren
Manchester United Academy International Players 2025/26
- Joe Deighton (Defender) Wales U16
- Joseph Gabriel (Forward) England U16
- Joseph Deighton (Defender) England U16
- Bendito Mantato (Midfielder) England U17; U18
- Noah Ajayi (Forward) Germany U18
- Tyler Fletcher (Midfielder) Scotland U19
- James Overy (Defender) Scotland U19; Australia First Team
- Harry Amass (Defender) England U19
- Will Murdock (Goalkeeper) Northern Ireland U19
- Elyh Harrison (Goalkeeper) England U20; U21
- Ayden Heaven (Defender) England U20
- Ethan Wheatley (Forward) England U20
- Shea Lacey (Midfielder) England U20
- Jacob Devaney (Defender) Ireland U21
- Jack Moorhouse (Midfielder) Ireland U21
- Gabriele Biancheri (Forward) Wales U21
Academy Competitions
U18 Premier League
The league divides teams into North and South groups for the U18s, calling it the U18 Premier League.
Manchester United play in the North League
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U17 and U18 Premier League Cup
In 2017, the Premier League introduced the U18 Premier League Cup and the U16 Premier League Cup, renaming the latter to the U17 Premier League Cup in 2020 for their respective age groups.
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
Manchester United U17 are drawn in Group E against under 17 teams from Blackburn, Burnley and Stoke City.
- Manchester United U17 lost at home against Blackburn U17 (1 – 3)
- Manchester United U17 won away against Stoke City U17 (1 – 2)
- Manchester United U17 won at home against Burnley U18 (1 – 0)
U18 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Manchester United U18 are drawn in Group G against under 18 teams from Brighton, Birmingham City and Middlesbrough.
- Manchester United U18 won at home against Brighton U18 (4 – 0)
- Godwill Kukonki
- Amir Ibragimov
- Bendito Mantato
- Samuel Lusale
- Manchester United U18 won away against Middlesbrough U18 (0 – 2)
- Samuel Lusale (2)
- Manchester United U18 won at home against Birmingham City U18 (6 – 0)
- Jacob Watson
- Joseph Gabriel
- Rafe McCormack
- Jay McEvoy 83
- James Bailey 87
- Kai Rooney
Quarter Final
Manchester United U18 have been drawn away against West Brom
- Manchester United U18 won away against West Brom U18 (3 – 4)
- Louie Bradbury (2)
- Jay McEvoy (2)
Semi Final
Manchester United have been drawn at home against West Ham U18
- Manchester United U18 won at home against West Ham U18 (3 – 1)
- JJ Gabriel
- Nathaniel Junior Brown
- Kai Rooney
FA Youth Cup
Third Round Proper
Manchester United U18 have been drawn at home against Peterborough United U18
- Manchester United U18 won at home against Peterborough United U18 (1 – 0)
- JJ Gabrielle
Fourth Round Proper
Manchester United U18 have been drawn at home against Derby County U18
- Manchester United U18 won at home against Derby County U18 (2 – 1) (0 – 0 end of normal time)
- Luca Crolla (OG)
- Chidi Obi
Fifth Round Proper
Manchester United U18 have been drawn away against Oxford United U18
- Manchester United U18 won away against Oxford United U18 (1 – 4)
- Albert Mills
- JJ Gabriel
- Chido Obi
- Noah Ajayi
Premier League 2
Starting from the 2023 season, all 26 Category 1 teams compete in a single league using the Swiss-style format.
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.
Premier League 2 Player of the Month
October 2025
- Gabriele Biancheri (Nominee)
March 2026
- Sam Mather (Nominee)
National League Cup
The National League Cup is a 32-team midweek competition, comprising of 16 Under-21s teams participating in Premier League 2 and 16 National League club first teams.
National League Cup Group Stage
Manchester United U21s have been placed in Group A in the 2nd edition of the National League Cup competition.
They will face Brackley Town, Rochdale, Solihull Moors, and Tamworth, with all matches being played away from home.
- Manchester United U21 played Tamworth away (Matched Abandoned)
- Manchester United U21 lost away against Brackley Town (2 – 1)
- Gabriele Biancheri
- Manchester United U21 won away against Rochdale (0 – 2)
- Jim Thwaites
- James Scanlon
- Manchester United U21 lost away against Solihull Moors (4 – 1)
- Jack Fletcher
Premier League International Cup
The participating teams are split into four groups of eight, each comprising four UK-based Under-21 teams and four invited overseas clubs represented by their development squads.
Each UK team will host all four overseas clubs in their group. The results will determine the standings in each group, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stages.
Manchester United will face Athletic Club, Borrusia Dortmund, Anderlecht and Sporting CP in Group D of the initial phase of the tournament.
Leeds United, Sunderland and West Ham are the other UK-based teams in their group.
U21 Premier League International Cup Group Stage
- Manchester United U21 won at home against Athletic Club U21 (2 – 1)
- James Scanlon
- Gabriele Biancheri
- Manchester United U21 lost at home against Anderlecht U21 (1 – 4)
- Jacob Devaney
Vertu Trophy (EFL Trophy)
The Vertu Trophy is a midweek knockout competition that includes clubs from EFL League One and League Two, along with 16 invited teams from Premier League and EFL Championship clubs that have Category One Academies.
The competition is regionalised from the opening stage through to the quarter-finals, featuring eight groups in the northern section and eight in the southern section.
Each group features one Under-21 Premier League side
Manchester United Under-21s have been drawn into Northern Group D, where they will face Barnsley, Lincoln City and Notts County.
- Manchester United U21 lost away against Lincoln City (3 – 0)
- Manchester United U21 lost away against Barnsley (5 – 2)
- Jack Fletcher
- Chido Obi-Martin
- Manchester U21 won away against Notts County (0 – 2)
- Shea Lacey
- Jacob Devaney
Manchester United Academy News
10th June 2025
18-year-old centre-back Reece Munro has signed his first professional contract with Manchester United
11th June 2025
Manchester United have added another talented prospect to their ranks by signing 16-year-old England youth international Harley Emsden-James from Southampton.
26th June 2025
Left-back Sam Murray has signed with National League side Carlisle United following his release from Manchester United earlier this summer.
1st July 2025
The Manchester United PDP squad has travelled to Germany for a training camp at adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach.
10th July 2025
Manchester United have confirmed the signing of promising young talent Enzo Kana-Biyik from Le Havre.
The 18-year-old joins on a free transfer and is now eligible to sign a professional contract.
Kana-Biyik has been immediately sent on loan to Swiss side Lausanne-Sport to support his development with regular first-team experience.
18th July 2025
Manchester United academy pre-season schedule is confirmed, with the U18s facing Norwich (19 July), Swansea (26 July), and Watford (1 August), and the U21s set to play Charlton (25 July), Fleetwood (29 July), and Rochdale (2 August).
11th August 2025
Manchester United’s Under-16s are in Hong Kong for this year’s JC Youth Football Academy Summit. The young Reds are set to face the Premier Youth League Select side and the Hong Kong, China U16 Representative Team.
26th September 2025
Goalkeeper Tom Wooster has joined West Ham United’s development squad after having spent 4 years at Manchester United.
21st October 2025
Forward Bendito Mantato has been called up to the England U17 squad for the 2025 World Cup in Qatar.
24th October 2025
Academy forward Joseph Gabriel has earned a call-up to the England Under-16 squad for the upcoming Football Federations Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.
Manchester United have signed 16-year-old goalkeeper Charlie Hardy from Championship side Derby County, with the youngster joining Darren Fletcher’s Under-18 squad.
6th November 2025
Midfielders Jack Moorhouse and Jacob Devaney have been named in the Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
7th November 2025
17-year-old Manchester United academy defender James Overy has received a call-up to the Australian men’s senior national team.
7th November 2025
Manchester United academy players Elyh Harrison, Shea Lacey and Ethan Wheatley have received a call-up to the England U20 squad ahead of their upcoming match against Japan at Doncaster Rovers next Friday.
13th November 2025
Goalkeeper Elyh Harrison has been added to Lee Carsley’s England U21 squad.
24th November 2025
Manchester United U18s will host Peterborough United U18 in the FA Youth Cup third round proper on Tuesday, December 9th, with kick-off at 7.00 pm.
18th December 2025
Manchester United’s Under-18s are set to face West Bromwich Albion away from home in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup, with the match scheduled for Tuesday, 10 February 2026.
22nd December 2025
Jack Fletcher made his Premier League debut in Aston Villa’s match against Manchester United.
He is the son of five-time Premier League winner Darren Fletcher, with his twin brother Tyler also part of the Manchester United Academy.
23rd December 2025
Manchester United U18 will welcome Derby County to Old Trafford for their fourth round tie on Friday 23 January, with kick-off at 7pm.
18th January 2026
Manchester United have formally approved the permanent exit of academy forward Sam Mather, with the 21-year-old completing a move to Turkish Süper Lig club Kayserispor.
The transfer, which was agreed earlier this month, has now been finalised, bringing an end to Mather’s 14-year spell with the Red Devils.
23rd January 2026
Manchester United Under-18s booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup with a 2–1 home victory over Derby County Under-18s after normal time, and will now face Oxford United.
4th February 2026
Manchester United have completed the signing of young goalkeeper Solomon Honor, with the highly rated academy talent leaving Blackburn Rovers.
The shot-stopper moves on from Ewood Park to join United’s under-21s squad.
18th February 2026
Manchester United Under-18s have reached the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Oxford United.
They will face either Sunderland or Brighton & Hove Albion in the last eight, with the tie scheduled to be played by 14 March.