Full nameSheffield United Football Club Youth Academy
Nickname(s)The Blades, Red & White Wizards
GroundShirecliffe Ground
Firshill Crescent
Sheffield
S4 7DW
ManagerDerek Geary
LeagueProfessional Development League 2

Sheffield United Football Club Youth Academy are the youth team of Sheffield United. The Under-18 and Under-23 teams play in Professional Development League 2.

The Academy is currently run by Jack Lester while Derek Geary coaches the U18s side.[1] Sheffield United's youth system was given Academy status in December 2002.[citation needed] In July 2017 the academy was recognised, in a study conducted by Press Association Sport, for having the 7th best academy for minutes played in the 2016–17 Premier League. In between Arsenal and Chelsea they placed by far the highest for a club outside the top-flight.[2]

The team plays at the Shirecliffe Ground at Firshill Crescent.

Current squad

Updated 26 August 2021[3][4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
31 GK England ENG Marcus Dewhurst
39 MF England ENG Antwoine Hackford
— GK England ENG Callum Hiddleston
— DF England ENG Beau Anderson
— MF England ENG Josh Smith
— DF England ENG Jean Belehouan
35 DF England ENG Andre Brookes
— DF Republic of Ireland IRL Harvey Cullinan
— DF France FRA Nickseon Gomis
38 DF England ENG Femi Seriki
— DF England ENG Kamarl Grant
— DF England ENG Tristan Skerritt
— DF England ENG Luther Williams
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF England ENG Theo Williams
24 MF England ENG Ollie Arblaster
42 MF England ENG Sydie Peck
— MF Tunisia TUN Hassan Ayari
— MF Republic of Ireland IRL Leo Gaxha
― MF England ENG Frankie Maguire
34 MF England ENG Louie Marsh
— MF England ENG Harrison Neal
— FW England ENG Will Lankshear
43 DF Scotland SCO Evan Easton
45 FW England ENG Billy Blacker
44 MF Wales WAL Owen Hampson
46 DF Lithuania LTU Dovydas Sasnauskas

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
37 GK Germany GER Jordan Amissah (on loan at Guiseley)
— DF England ENG Harry Boyes (on loan at Solihull Moors)
The Sheffield United F.C. Academy & Training ground at Shirecliffe

List of Academy managers

Name Nationality From To Notes
John Warnock and Ron Reid England England [5]
John Pemberton England England 23 March 2010 7 September 2012 [6][7]
Jamie Hoyland England England 25 September 2012 5 December 2012 [8][9]
Nick Cox England England 1 January 2013 12 May 2016
Travis Binnion Republic of Ireland Ireland 1 July 2016 19 July 2019 [1]
Jack Lester England England 19 July 2019 25 November 2021 [1]
Derek Geary Republic of Ireland Ireland 11 January 2022 [1]

Notable Academy Graduates

The Academy has produced England internationals such as Phil Jagielka, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire as well as many players who have gone on to have careers in professional football, whether at Sheffield United or at other clubs. Current Sheffield United players are highlighted in green.

Phil Jagielka in his car
England International Phil Jagielka made over 250 appearances for United.
Phil Jagielka in his car
Defender Harry Maguire made over 150 appearances for his boyhood club.
Stephen Quinn during a match
Irish midfielder Stephen Quinn made over 250 appearances for United.
Walker playing for Tottenham Hotspur
Kyle Walker has played for the England national team.
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2014)
Player Current Club Born International Honours Notes
Somalia Liban Abdi Retired Somalia Burao
England Micky Adams Retired England Sheffield England Youth Former Manager
England Frank Barlow Retired England Mexborough Former Assistant Manager
Republic of Ireland Aaron Barry Republic of Ireland Bray Wanderers Republic of Ireland Dublin
England Alan Birchenall Retired England East Ham England under-23
Wales David Brooks England Bournemouth England Warrington Full Wales call-up
England Scott Boden England Boreham Wood England Sheffield
England Dominic Calvert-Lewin England Everton England Sheffield Full England cap
Northern Ireland Adam Chapman England Gainsborough Trinity England Doncaster Northern Ireland under-21
England Ryan Cresswell Retired England Rotherham
England Kevin Davies Retired England Sheffield Full England Cap
Republic of Ireland Connor Dimaio England Boston United England Chesterfield Ireland under-21
Italy Diego De Girolamo England Buxton England Chesterfield Italy under-19
Northern Ireland Martin Donnelly Northern Ireland Linfield Northern Ireland Belfast Full Northern Ireland Cap
Barbados Jonathan Forte Retired England Sheffield Full Barbados Caps
England Alan Hodgkinson Retired England Laughton-en-le-Morthen Full England Caps
England Evan Horwood England West Auckland Town England Billingham
England Kevan Hurst England Guiseley England Chesterfield
England Phil Jagielka Retired England Sale Full England Caps
England Mick Jones Retired England Worksop Full England Caps
England Otis Khan England Walsall England Ashton-under-Lyne
England Nicky Law United States Indy Eleven England Nottingham
England George Long England Millwall England Sheffield England under-20
England Matthew Lowton England Burnley England Chesterfield
England Harry Maguire England Manchester United England Sheffield Full England caps World Record Transfer Fee for a Central Defender
Scotland Callum McFadzean England Wrexham England Sheffield Scotland under-21
England Kyle McFadzean EnglandBlackburn Rovers England Sheffield England C
England Jacob Mellis England Southend United England Nottingham England under-19
Scotland Nick Montgomery Retired England Leeds Scotland Futures
England Kyle Naughton Wales Swansea City England Sheffield England under-21
England George Oghani Retired England Manchester
Northern Ireland David Parkhouse Northern Ireland Ballymena United Northern Ireland Strabane Northern Ireland under-21
England Tony Philliskirk Retired England Sunderland
England Ben Purkiss Retired England Sheffield
Republic of Ireland Stephen Quinn England Mansfield Town Republic of Ireland Dublin Full Ireland Caps
England Wayne Quinn Retired England Truro
England Aaron Ramsdale England Arsenal England Stoke-on-Trent Full England Caps
England Louis Reed England Swindon Town England Barnsley England under-20
Scotland Chris Robertson England Coalville Town Scotland Dundee
England Jordan Slew England FC Halifax Town England Sheffield England under-19
England Billy Sharp England Hull City England Sheffield EFL Championship record goalscorer
England Graham Shaw Retired England Sheffield Full England Caps Deceased
Poland Ben Starosta England Free Agent England Sheffield Poland under-20
Algeria Aymen Tahar Greece Athlitiki Enosi Larissa England Sheffield Algeria under-20
England Nicky Travis Retired England Sheffield
England Michael Tonge Retired England Manchester England under-21
England Kyle Walker England Manchester City England Sheffield Full England Caps
England Sam Wedgbury England Stalybridge Celtic England Oldbury
England Alan Woodward Retired England Chapeltown
England Dane Whitehouse Retired England Sheffield
England Elliott Whitehouse EnglandForest Green Rovers England Worksop
England Ben Whiteman England Preston North End England Rochdale

Honours

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "Academy staff". Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Revealed: The 20 European club academies that produced most Premier League minutes in 2016/17". The Telegraph. London. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. ^ "u23". Sheffield United F.C. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  4. ^ "u18". Sheffield United F.C. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Sheffield United appoint new chief executive". Kick It Out. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Pemberton appointed". Sheffield United F.C. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  7. ^ Shield, James (7 September 2012). "Sheffield United's academy coach boss John Pemberton quits Blades". Sheffield Star. Johnston Press. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Academy make key appointments". sufc. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Hoyland leaves Academy". Sheffield United FC Official Website. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

References

Categories