Find out the best football academies in England today, see how to go about trials, and how to join them by following practical steps.
We will break down the article into different sections. Firstly, we would discuss the best academies before highlighting information about trials and how to join them.
Ranking the best football academies in England today, 2024/2025
1. Manchester United Academy
The Man United Academy is one of the highly rated academies in world football. The club has produced some of the best legs today.
2. Chelsea FC Academy
Chelsea Football Club has one of the best academies with state-of-the art equipment.
The club has consistently produced players scattered across Europe, most of whom are on loan at various clubs on the continent.
3. Liverpool FC Academy
Liverpool Football Academy is one of the best in the country and has produced several players who have become regular first-team players.
4. Arsenal FC Academy
Another notable name on the list is the Arsenal FC football academy. It is also known for producing young talents.
Developing young talents has been a success for the team. Several players have gone on to play for the first team or move to other top English teams.
5. Manchester City Academy
The Manchester City academy has one of the best facilities in England. The academy has also produced world-class players.
The academy has since gotten attention from the club owners, who have spent significantly on the development of the team.
Others are Tottenham Hotspur, Everton FC and Southampton Academy, etc.
To join a football club in England is not as hard as one might think or how it sounds in the ears of players worldwide wishing to play professionally in the country.
The intention to join an academy and possibly play for an English football club has risen over the years. This could be attributed to the high salary of the English Premier League.
Read: Best soccer academies in France
Today, the English league is regarded as the best and the most competitive top-flight football competition in the world, and it might interest you to know that all top-flight clubs have a fully functional football academy.
These clubs fall back to search for players within their academy before considering signing players outside the club in some cases.
In England, Southampton, over the years, has produced some of the best players in the top flight through its academy. Most of whom have played for some of the biggest clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
Although most recently, Manchester United has made gains with the integration of its youth players like Phil Foden into the senior team. Outside England, Bayern Munich has also recorded gains with its academy players over the years.
To be eligible to play in England as an upcoming footballer, you must meet the requirements set by the country’s embassy set aside for international players or students.
How to apply for a football academy in England
Apply for an Academy directly.
There’s an abundance of quality football academies in England; some of these are owned by the professional football clubs in the English Premier League and the EFL Championship.
Top academies in England, including Manchester United Reserves, Leeds United Reserves, Liverpool, and Southampton, offer you some of the best chances of appearing for the senior team.
You can apply today through a mailbox postcard that consists of vital information about you coupled with your intentions to join them.
Or you can apply through the online platform or online website. Another option is to use the club’s youth development department directly, and you will be invited for a trial.
Take Marcus Rashford as an example; he is currently regarded as one of the best attackers at Manchester United, and he is a product of the club’s youth development squad. His consistency earned him a place in the senior team.
Another perfect example is Phil Foden.
Attend open day trials and showcase your skills
What is an open day trial? An open day trial is a short-term exercise created to allow players from different categories to showcase their abilities in front of official talent scouts or representatives of clubs.
Open day trials help upcoming footballers be considered for selection without registering or playing for an academy.
Open day trials could be paid or free. However, you should attend paid open day trials to boost your chances of getting picked up by a top professional football team. On your part, you should research ways that will boost your chances of becoming successful during open day trials.
Know where the exercise is carried out. How much does it cost for paid ones, and what requirements do you need to fulfil?
The registration fees are not exceptionally high as one might think. It is also the best place to find a football club when you are not a member of an existing academy.
It would help if you had an official offer. To receive an official offer, you have to play when club representatives from England visit your locality. Today, Manchester United, Liverpool, as well as other top clubs, send representatives to scout for young players like you out there.
If you get picked, do not hesitate to accept the terms you offer. Clubs will not present tough times, but what is best for your relationship with them?
Also, when you get to represent a team in any organised football competition, always play your best to keep attractions on you.
Always play to your strength. Offers will only come to you when you’re impressive during trials and competitions.
Join a famous football academy in your country.
Join a famous academy known by notable clubs internationally. Visit them, apply, and register with them. Fill out the necessary forms and pay the required fees.
This is because clubs from England and other parts of Europe send representatives to football academies in developing parts of the world searching for young, talented players. In some countries, there are Premier League clubs affiliated with academies.
Join an academy affiliated with clubs from England
Look for any academy that is affiliated with a Premier League club.
Why would one consider joining a football academy in England? It is a bold step to take in your career if you aim to reach the top of professional football within a short time.
It would be an excellent option to start from there by going through the ranks of an academy capable of propelling your career within a short time.
Requirements
The complete requirements and qualifications before you can join a football academy in England
IELTS
This is mandatory for all international students. This test is carried out for non-English citizens about to enter the country.
Visit the UK international students portal
Visit the international portal to check for the complete requirements requested of international students about to enter the United Kingdom.
These requirements are very mandatory for prospective individuals with the desire to move to England. You must meet up with the requirements set by the English council for all international students.
Student Visa (Tier 4)
You need to obtain a student visa at your country’s embassy. Your international student A visa is one of the most important documents you should possess. This is because you cannot gain entry to any country without having a visa as a student.
This visa can be obtained in your country’s embassy. In some countries, the expiration of this visa may differ.
Before you make any move, the first thing you should do is walk into the embassy in your country affiliated with the particular country you are about to visit and make enquiries on what to do to obtain it
Some of the key benefits of joining a football academy in England
More exposure
The competition over there is not limited to clubs in the EPL alone. Still, other lower leagues are making it mandatory for clubs to search for players regularly to compete at the highest level.
The English league alone buys players from within and outside the country to bolster its squad to finish high at the end of every campaign.
Also, academies want to stand out to attract the attention of the big clubs in the country, most of which are always on the lookout for young players that would help them succeed with their ambitions every season.
This is more of the reason development academies spent a lot to provide the best facilities that would help you excel, which will, in turn, attract lucrative offers from top clubs.
What clubs are looking for good players with consistency, and if you are one of them, your success rate becomes higher.
Competitive edge
If you play for the football academy of a professional football club in the Premier League or the EFL Championship, your chances of breaking into the first team increase.
This is because the handlers of the professional setup are constantly monitoring progress from the youth setup.
They’re always aware of the following emerging talents, and this is the good thing about joining a development team in England.
Today, most professional football clubs incorporate youth players within their senior side to boost competitions and increase the team’s confidence level.
Higher chances clubs would sign you fast
As long as you can deliver on the field of play. You are guaranteed a club since most clubs emphasise their scouting team.
The EPL has 20 teams; the EFL Championship has 24, and so do other lower leagues in the English football league system.
Each club sends out scouts to academies in the country in search of players like you, and you would be surprised to know that clubs are competing to sign academy players in most cases because of what the player offers.
Learn new skills, the “English Football” pattern
Academies in the country operate at the highest standard, and they emphasise training young players with the modern style of football.
They take their time to teach you everything you need to know that will help you grow and succeed to be a professional footballer in your career.
Important things to do before setting out
Before you make that final move, ensure you have met some of these criteria because they may turn out to be very vital in the end.
Training Consistently
What makes you a perfect player or an athlete in any particular sport is your level of consistency. It would help if you took it upon yourself as a responsibility and trained regularly.
If time is your problem, you can set out selected days within the week dedicated to your one personal training. Do this regularly, and you will indeed become perfect with your game.
One of the reasons you see top players excel week in and week out is their consistency in training. Do not compromise on this. Instead, focus your energy and become one of the best.
Eat right
Whenever you set out for these crucial moments of your career, you should eat the correct type of food only. If you have no idea what to eat to enhance your performance, enquire about it.
Devote yourself to football
Devote yourself to football and football alone if you plan to become a professional. Channel most of your energy towards taking your career to the next level.
Focus on your goals
Goal setting is always the best thing to do as an individual; however, one aspect of setting the goal is another part of keeping up with it.
Set your goal and continue to work on it. If you plan to join a football Academy in England, always see it as your top priority and constantly work on it regularly.
Some of the reasons people become successful are their ability to focus on their goals and constantly work on making them a reality. Do so, and you will find yourself at the top sooner than expected.
Choose a particular role
Football is an inclusive and complex sport requiring you to be at your best at all times since there is an abundance of players fighting to be at the top. I chose a particular role and constantly worked on it to be the best in that position.
Before you even begin, examine yourself and point out the position you can conveniently play. Do it constantly, and you will turn out to be the best at your game.
Improve on yourself daily
Whenever you are at the training ground, ensure you learn a new skill, adding to the one you have already acquired.
To become a professional footballer is not a one-day job, but it takes time, effort, and commitment on your part to achieve it.
Also, you have to be prepared to face the big stage at all times. Build up your confidence level, and you will surely enjoy playing football.
Wrapping up
Joining a football academy in England is made easy in this article, and you should try your best to acquire all the requirements listed above, most especially as an international student.
I hope this article helps you navigate securing a football academy in England and the best to choose from on the list of academies in the country.