Highlights from the Nottingham Forest Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.
Based in the East Midlands, Nottingham Forest FC runs a category 1 academy
- Head of Academy: Chris McGuane
- Head of Football & Talent Management: Craig Mulholland
- Under 21 Lead Coach: Warren Joyce
Nottingham Forest Retained List 2025
View the complete list of Nottingham Forest players who have been retained, released, or have returned to their parent clubs following loan spells.
Nottingham Forest Scholars 2025/26
The following players have all put pen to paper on two-year scholarships and will be a part of Nottingham Forest’s Under-18s squad for the 2025/26 campaign.
- Alastair Graham (Goalkeeper)
- Joe Bailey (Goalkeeper),
- Harvey Andrews (Defender)
- Spencer Sutton (Defender)
- Kalum Thompson (Midfielder)
- Eleazar Lokote (Midfielder)
- Riko Robinson (Midfielder)
- Shakur Samuels (Forward)
- Basima Balagizi (Forward)
- Kanye Bradshaw (Forward)
Nottingham Forest Academy Players On Loan 2025/26
Youth players on loan
- Kyle McAdam (Midfielder) Mansfield Town; Northampton Town
- Tyler Bindon (Defender) Sheffield United
- Joe Gardner (Forward) Mansfield Town
- Jamie McDonnell (Midfielder) Mansfield Town
- Josh Powell (Defender) Colchester United; Fleetwood Town
- Esapa Osong (Forward) Motherwell; Fleetwood Town
- George Murray-Jones (Goalkeeper) Chester
- Jack Thompson (Defender) Barrow
- Donnell McNeilly (Forward) Wycombe Wanderers
- Alfie Bradshaw (Midfielder) Bracknell Town; Stocksbridge Park Steels
- Ben Hammond (Midfielder) Northampton Town
- Cormac Daly (Midfielder) Hereford
- Cherif Yaya (Midfielder) Hereford
Nottingham Forest Academy Products in The First Team 2025/26
- Zach Abbott (Defender) #44
- Keehan Willows (Goalkeeper) #67
- Zyan Blake (Forward) #77
- Jack Thompson (Defender) #58
- Jimmy Sinclair (Midfielder) #61
- Ben Hammond (Defender) #64
- Archie Whitehall (Midfielder) #51
- Buba Sanneh (Defender) #76
Nottingham Forest Academy International Players 2025/26
- Isaac Davies (Midfielder) Wales U18
- Chinaza Nwosu (Midfielder) England U18
- Kalum Thompson (Forward) Northern Ireland U19
- Blaine McClure (Midfielder) Northern Ireland U19
- Danny Anjisko (Forward) Latvia U21
- Zach Abbott (Defender) England U20
- Ben Hammond (Defender) Wales U21
- Matthew Orr (Defender) Northern Ireland U21
- Joe Gardner (Forward) Ireland U21
- Jamie McDonnell (Midfielder) Northern Ireland First Team
Academy Competitions
U18 Premier League
The league divides teams into North and South groups for the U18s, calling it the U18 Premier League.
Nottingham Forest U18 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
Nottingham Forest U17 are drawn in Group B against under 17 teams from Birmingham City, Derby County and Leicester City.
- Nottingham Forest U17 won away against Birmingham City U17 (1 – 3)
- Nottingham Forest U17 lost at home against Derby County U19 (2 – 3)
- Nottingham Forest U17 lost away at Leicester City U17 (4 – 2)
U18 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Nottingham Forest U18 are drawn in Group E against under 18 teams from Ipswich Town, Sunderland and West Ham.
- Nottingham Forest U18 won at home against Ipswich Town U18 (3 – 2)
- Kalum Thompson (2)
- Scott Hamilton
- Nottingham Forest U18 lost away against West Ham U18 (2 – 1)
- Shakur Samuels
- Nottingham Forest drew away against Sunderland U18 (1 – 1)
FA Youth Cup
Third Round Proper
Nottingham Forest U18 have been drawn away against Sunderland U18
- Nottingham Forest U18 lost away against Sunderland U18 (3 – 0)
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
November 2025
- Kalum Thompson (Nominee)
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
Nottingham Forest U21 are drawn in Group G against under 21 teams from Millwall, Swansea City and Wolves.
- Nottingham Forest U21 won at home against Wolves U21 (1 – 0)
- Lamin Sillah
- Nottingham Forest U21 won at home against Swansea City U21 (1 – 0)
- Danny Anjisko
- Nottingham Forest U21 won at home against Millwall U21 (2 – 1)
- Adam Berry (2)
- Nottingham Forest U21 won away against Millwall U21 (1 – 4)
- Kalum Thompson
- Jimmy Sinclair
- Adam Berry
- Ztan Blake
- Nottingham Forest U21 won away against Wolves U21 (0 – 1)
- Blaine McClure
Round of 16
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost at home against Sunderland U21 (1 – 6)
- Eric de Silva Moreira
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.
U21 Premier League International Cup Group Stage
Defending champions Nottingham Forest will face PSG, Dinamo Zagreb, Benfica and Real Sociedad in Group C of the initial phase of the tournament.
Brighton, Chelsea and Newcastle United are the other UK-based teams in their group.
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost at home against Dinamo Zagreb II (0 – 1)
- Nottingham Forest U21 drew at home against Benfica B (1 – 1)
- Jimmy Sinclair
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
Vertu Cup Group Stage
Nottingham Forest Under-21s have been drawn into Northern Group B, where they will face Barrow, Blackpool and Tranmere Rovers.
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost away against Tranmere Rovers (2 – 2) (9 – 8 after Pens)
- Fuad Smith
- Kalum Thompson
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost away against Barrow (2 – 0)
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
Nottingham Forest have been placed in Group B in the 2nd edition of the National League Cup competition.
They will face Wealdstone, Forest Green, Boreham Wood and Braintree Town, with all matches being played away from home.
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost away against Boreham Wood (2 – 0)
- Nottingham Forest U21 lost away against Braintree Town (1 – 0)
- Nottingham Forest U21 won away against Wealdstone (0 – 2)
- Lamin Sillah (2)
- Nottingham Forest U21 won away against Forest Green (0 – 1)
- Kalum Thompson
Nottingham Forest Academy News
19th May 2025
Ethan Broomes has committed his future to Nottingham Forest by signing a new contract that will keep him at the Club until the summer of 2027.
27th May 2025
Adam Berry has signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest Academy.
23rd June 2025
Kyle Adam has signed a one-year contract extension and will join Mansfield Town on loan for the 2025/26 season.
2nd July 2025
Former B Team players have secured new clubs, with Sam Collins signing for King’s Lynn Town, Jack Nadin joining The New Saints, and Jack Perkins making the move to Northampton Town.
Manni Norkett has signed with Cheltenham Town, while Harry Griffith has secured a move to Notts County — both clubs competing in EFL League Two.
9th July 2025
Ben Perry, 20, has completed a permanent move to Colchester United for an undisclosed fee.
16th July 2025
Nineteen-year-old Gambian youth international forward Lamin Sillah has signed a contract with Nottingham Forest running until the summer of 2028.
He joins from Olympiacos Piraeus U19 and will link up with Warren Joyce’s B Team squad.
7th August 2025
Dale Taylor has left the Club to join Blackpool on a permanent deal.
Since arriving from Linfield in 2018, Taylor has had EFL loan spells with Burton Albion, Wycombe Wanderers, and Wigan Athletic in 2024/25.
1st September 2025
Centre-back Matthew Orr has signed for Nottingham Forest Academy from Linfield on a three-year contract.
3rd September 2025
Nottingham Forest have secured the signing of 17-year-old midfielder Chinaza Nwosu, who joins on a three-year contract following his departure from West Ham.
13th October 2025
Gabriel Schluter has joined Nottingham Forest from Blackpool.
The 16-year-old winger made history last November as Blackpool’s youngest-ever senior player at just 15 years, nine months, and 27 days.
27th October 2025
Goalkeeper Ally Graham has signed his first professional contract with Nottingham Forest, keeping him at the club until summer 2028.
6th November 2025
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche included six Academy graduates on the bench for the Europa League match away to SK Sturm Graz.
Forward Joe Gardner has been named in the Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
11th November 2025
Midfielder Riko Robinson has signed his first professional contract with Nottingham Forest, committing his future at Trentside with a new deal that runs until June 2028.
4th December 2025
At just 17, Thompson becomes the youngest Forest player to receive a nomination for the PL2 Player of the Month award, following his progression from the Under-18s to the B Team this season.
10th December 2025
Nottingham Forest U18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round with a 3-0 defeat away to Sunderland U18s.
2nd February 2026
Isaac Davies has joined Cardiff City on a permanent transfer. The midfielder has been a key part of Nottingham Forest U18 Premier League squad this season and leaves with the benefit of years representing Wales at youth level.
21st April 2026
Jimmy Sinclair has signed a new deal with Nottingham Forest
The 19-year-old, who joined Forest in 2021, has agreed a one-year extension with an option for a further year. He made 35 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26.
28th April 2026
Keehan Willows has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until summer 2028.
The goalkeeper has been part of the First Team throughout the 2025/26 season, and the extension will take his time with Forest beyond a decade.