The Academy of West Ham United F.C. is recognized as one of the most successful football academies in football history. This reputation has resulted in its nickname the Academy of Football.
In sporting terminology, a youth system is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if they show enough promise and potential, and to fill up squad numbers in some teams with small budgets. In contrast to most professional sports in the United States where the high school and collegiate system is responsible for developing young sports people, most football and basketball clubs, especially in Europe and Latin America, take responsibility for developing their own players of the future.
The Tottenham Hotspur Academy is the youth system of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The academy was created to train and develop players from the age of eight all the way through to the age of 23. Many of those who have progressed through Tottenham's academy have gone on to sign professional contracts and several have represented their country at full international level.
The Aston Villa Under-21s, formerly known as Aston Villa Reserves and Aston Villa Under-23s, are the most senior youth development team of Aston Villa and compete in Premier League 2, the Premier League Cup, and the EFL Trophy in the 2023–24 season. The team plays its home games at Aston Villa's training ground, Bodymoor Heath and occasionally Villa Park. Aston Villa also have an academy side that competes in the Under-18 division of the Professional Development League, the U18 Premier League Cup and the FA Youth Cup annually, most recently winning the latter trophy in the 2020-21 season. They also field a youth side in the Birmingham Senior Cup annually.
Middlesbrough F.C. Reserves and Academy are the under-23 and under-18 teams of Middlesbrough F.C.
Birmingham City F.C. Development Squad and Academy are the reserve team and the youth development system of Birmingham City Football Club. The reserve team, established in 1879, played in the Premier Reserve League South in the 2009–10 season, but did not enter a league again until the 2012–13 season, when it was placed in the northern division of the newly formed Professional Development League 2, a predominantly under-21 league. The academy, established in its current form in 1999, trains boys in age groups from under 9s through to under 18s.
The Charlton Athletic Academy refers to the teams and players in the youth system of English professional football club Charlton Athletic; they play the majority of their home games at the club's training ground in New Eltham, London.
Portsmouth F.C. XI and Academy consist of the reserve and academy footballers of Portsmouth F.C.
Leeds United Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of Leeds United's youth teams and the club's former reserve team. The team competes in the Premier League 2 and the Football League Trophy. The team host most of their home games at the club's Thorp Arch training complex, with some matches also taking place at Elland Road.
The SPFL Development League was the top level of youth football in Scotland, which was contested in various formats between 1998 and 2018.
Arsenal Football Club Academy is the youth system of Arsenal Football Club based in Hale End, London, England. It is often referred to as Hale End eponymously by the club, sports media, and fans. The academy teams play in the Professional Development League, the highest level of youth football in England. The club also competes in the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League competitions. Former player Per Mertesacker is the current academy manager.
The Huddersfield Town Development Squad is the reserve team of Championship club Huddersfield Town. They play competitively as the Huddersfield Town Under 21s in the Professional Development League 2 Northern Division, of which they finished 1st in the 2013–14 season, but then proceeded to lose the nationwide play-off semi-final against Queens Park Rangers.
Sunderland A.F.C. Academy is the collective name for the youth development squads of Sunderland Association Football Club, primarily the U18 and U21 teams. Sunderland have an 'Elite' Category 1 football academy based on the Elite Player Performance Plan and their teams are members of the Professional Development League.
Swansea City Association Football Club Under-21s is the most senior team of Swansea City's youth teams and are the club's former reserve team. They compete in the Professional Development League. The Under-21s play the majority of their home fixtures at the club's Youth Academy in Landore, with occasional fixtures taking place at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Stoke City Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of Stoke City's youth teams and the club's former reserve team. The Under-23 team is effectively Stoke City's second-string side. They play in Premier League 2. The team also competes in the Premier League Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup.
The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is a youth development scheme initiated by the Premier League. The intention of the EPPP is to improve the quality and quantity of home-grown players produced by top English clubs. Measures introduced by the EPPP to free up movement of younger players by establishing a hierarchy of association football academies in England and fixing the transfer fees between academies have proved controversial and some smaller clubs closed their academies in response to the changes.
The Reading Academy refers to the development teams of Reading Football Club. The club takes part in the Professional Development League system, with the Under-23 competing in the Premier League 2 – Division 2, and the Under-18 competing in the U18 Premier League – South Division.
AFC Wimbledon Development squad and Academy are the youth teams of professional English association football club AFC Wimbledon. Under the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) system for youth development, the academy has been granted Category Three status. The Under-18 squad currently competes in Football League Youth Alliance South East Conference. The Under 18's squad play their home matches in the FA Youth Cup at Kingsmeadow, in Kingston upon Thames, London. Whilst the Under 23's play a majority of their matches at Merstham F.C. most other matches are held at the club's New Malden training complex. The development squad competes in the Under–21 Premier League Cup.
Brentford F.C. Reserves was the reserve team of Brentford. The reserve team played at varying times from 1900 until 2011. During the 2012 off-season, the English reserve football pyramid and youth system was overhauled under the Elite Player Performance Plan and replaced with a new Academy system and development leagues. Brentford's reserve team was relaunched as the Brentford Development Squad in 2011 and in 2012 it began competing in Professional Development League 2 South. After closing the academy in May 2016, the club withdrew from the Elite Player Performance Plan and Professional Development League and launched a new Brentford B team. Following the first team's promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the club reopened its academy in time for the start of the 2022–23 season, under the Elite Player Performance Plan, while retaining the B team.
Colchester United Football Club Under-23s are the under-23 team of Colchester United Football Club. They play in the South Division of the Professional U21 Development League 2, the second tier of reserve football in England. The team mostly consists of the club's under-23 players, although senior players have occasionally made appearances for the side, for instance, during recovery from injury. The team are coached by Richard Hall.
