Sheffield United F.C. Academy

Sheffield United F.C. Academy
Full nameSheffield United Football Club Youth Academy
NicknamesThe 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. 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 10 July 2026[3]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
31 GK  ENG Luke Faxon
46 GK  ENG Henry Molyneux
43 DF  ENG Harry Boyes
— DF  ENG Jili Buyabu
26 DF  ENG Jamal Baptiste
53 DF  ENG Sam Colechin
47 DF  SCO Evan Easton
— DF  ENG Mehki Haughton-Parris
— DF  ENG Jayden Prunty
— DF  ENG Ben Purches
45 DF  ENG Sai Sachdev
37 DF  LTU Dovydas Sasnauskas
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  ENG Jack Waldron
48 MF  ENG Sam Aston
41 MF  ENG Billy Blacker
50 MF  ENG Ethan Cummings
49 MF  ENG Jay Tinsdale
— FW  ENG Kurtis Havenhand
54 FW  ENG Marshall Francis
39 FW  SCO Ryan Oné
— FW  ERI Siem Eyob-Abraha

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  ENG Miguel Freckleton (on loan at Swindon Town)
— FW  ENG Antwoine Hackford (on loan at Port Vale)
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 [4]
John Pemberton England England 23 March 2010 7 September 2012 [5][6]
Jamie Hoyland England England 25 September 2012 5 December 2012 [7][8]
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.
Player Current Club Born International Honours Notes
Somaliland Liban AbdiRetiredSomaliland Burao
England Micky AdamsRetiredEngland SheffieldEngland YouthFormer Manager
England Frank BarlowRetiredEngland MexboroughFormer Assistant Manager
Republic of Ireland Aaron BarryRepublic of Ireland Bray WanderersRepublic of Ireland Dublin
England Alan BirchenallRetiredEngland East HamEngland under-23
Wales David BrooksEngland BournemouthEngland WarringtonFull Wales call-up
England Scott BodenEngland Boreham WoodEngland Sheffield
England Dominic Calvert-LewinEngland EvertonEngland SheffieldFull England cap
Northern Ireland Adam ChapmanEngland Gainsborough TrinityEngland DoncasterNorthern Ireland under-21
England Ryan CresswellRetiredEngland Rotherham
England Kevin DaviesRetiredEngland SheffieldFull England Cap
Republic of Ireland Connor DimaioEngland Boston UnitedEngland ChesterfieldIreland under-21
Italy Diego De GirolamoEngland BuxtonEngland ChesterfieldItaly under-19
Northern Ireland Martin DonnellyNorthern Ireland LinfieldNorthern Ireland BelfastFull Northern Ireland Cap
Barbados Jonathan ForteRetiredEngland SheffieldFull Barbados Caps
England Alan HodgkinsonRetiredEngland Laughton-en-le-MorthenFull England Caps
England Evan HorwoodEngland West Auckland TownEngland Billingham
England Kevan HurstEngland GuiseleyEngland Chesterfield
England Phil JagielkaRetiredEngland SaleFull England Caps
England Mick JonesRetiredEngland WorksopFull England Caps
Pakistan Otis KhanEngland WalsallEngland Ashton-under-LyneFull Pakistan Caps
England Nicky LawUnited States Indy ElevenEngland Nottingham
England George LongEngland MillwallEngland SheffieldEngland under-20
England Matthew LowtonEngland BurnleyEngland Chesterfield
England Harry MaguireEngland Manchester UnitedEngland SheffieldFull England capsWorld Record Transfer Fee for a Central Defender
Scotland Callum McFadzeanEngland WrexhamEngland SheffieldScotland under-21
England Kyle McFadzeanEnglandBlackburn RoversEngland SheffieldEngland C
England Jacob MellisEngland Southend UnitedEngland NottinghamEngland under-19
Scotland Nick MontgomeryRetiredEngland LeedsScotland Futures
England Kyle NaughtonWales Swansea CityEngland SheffieldEngland under-21
England George OghaniRetiredEngland Manchester
Northern Ireland David ParkhouseNorthern Ireland Ballymena UnitedNorthern Ireland StrabaneNorthern Ireland under-21
England Tony PhilliskirkRetiredEngland Sunderland
England Ben PurkissRetiredEngland Sheffield
Republic of Ireland Stephen QuinnEngland Mansfield TownRepublic of Ireland DublinFull Ireland Caps
England Wayne QuinnRetiredEngland Truro
England Aaron Ramsdale England Arsenal England Stoke-on-Trent Full England Caps
England Louis ReedEngland Swindon TownEngland BarnsleyEngland under-20
Scotland Chris RobertsonEngland Coalville TownScotland Dundee
England Jordan SlewEngland FC Halifax TownEngland SheffieldEngland under-19
England Billy SharpEngland Hull CityEngland SheffieldEFL Championship record goalscorer
England Graham ShawRetiredEngland SheffieldFull England CapsDeceased
Poland Ben StarostaEngland Free AgentEngland SheffieldPoland under-20
Algeria Aymen TaharGreece Athlitiki Enosi LarissaEngland SheffieldAlgeria under-20
England Nicky TravisRetiredEngland Sheffield
England Michael TongeRetiredEngland ManchesterEngland under-21
England Kyle WalkerEngland Manchester CityEngland SheffieldFull England Caps
England Sam WedgburyEngland Stalybridge CelticEngland Oldbury
England Alan WoodwardRetiredEngland Chapeltown
England Dane WhitehouseRetiredEngland Sheffield
England Elliott WhitehouseEnglandForest Green RoversEngland Worksop
England Ben WhitemanEngland Preston North EndEngland Rochdale
England Harvey GilmourEngland RochdaleEngland Sheffield
England Tyler SmithEngland RochdaleEngland Sheffield


Honours

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "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. ↑ "U21". Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Sheffield United appoint new chief executive". Kick It Out. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Pemberton appointed". Sheffield United F.C. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Shield, James (7 September 2012). "Sheffield United's academy coach boss John Pemberton quits Blades". Sheffield Star. Johnston Press. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Academy make key appointments". sufc. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Hoyland leaves Academy". Sheffield United FC Official Website. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

References