Ranking The Top Five Academies In English Football

Youth teams are part and parcel of the modern game, with the biggest clubs in the Premier League giving youngsters the opportunity to ply their trade against one another.

English clubs are often criticised for now playing homegrown talents frequently enough but the development of youth leagues has helped to enhance the skills of our future stars.

Here, we look at five standout youth setups in the English football system. There are a few clubs who have set the bar in the past while one or two new kids on the block that could benefit in years to come.

So without further ado, it’s time for our take on the best football academies in England and some of the stars to graduate from each club over the years.

Chelsea

Undoubtedly the market leader when it comes to English football academies, Chelsea set the standard in terms of success at youth level and Roman Abramovich’s decision to invest heavily in the academy setup has really paid off.

Chelsea have won the Youth Cup an incredible seven times since 2010 and Blues fans have seen some of the club’s greatest ever players graduate from the youth side.

John Terry is the most well-known Chelsea graduate while many others have gone on to enjoy success across European football. While Chelsea aren’t quite as successful at youth level anymore, they remain one of the best English football academies.

Southampton

In terms of producing talent, Southampton are up there with the best of them. Several young stars have gone on to enjoy prolific careers, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin and Theo Walcott graduating at St Mary’s Stadium.

The club has an excellent track record when it comes to producing some of the best talents in the country, though Saints have usually struggled to hold onto these players.

Alan Shearer was a huge hit at Southampton before departing for Blackburn Rovers but club legend Matt Le Tissier broke through and stayed with the Saints for his entire top flight career.

Liverpool

One of the most successful teams in English football, Liverpool have also enjoyed lots of success when it comes to generating talent from within. In fact, the club are very proud of the way they prioritise homegrown stars – and rightly so.

The likes of Phil Thompson, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have all graduated from the Anfield youth system, while Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and Raheem Sterling also worked their way to the top via the Liverpool academy route.

Nowadays, the Reds continue to reward players who have graduated from the Liverpool youth setup – with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones both following that path. The Reds will undoubtedly continue to give opportunities to their own.

Manchester United

The first of two Manchester teams on the list, United’s status is guaranteed thanks to the unrivalled achievements of the Class of ’92 but the club’s commitment to naming an academy player in the matchday squad is also worth remembering.

David Beckham, Gary & Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were instrumental in United’s success during the 1990s. These players helped United to take control of the English game while also winning the treble in 1998/99.

Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are two of the current crop that graduated via the Red Devils academy. Surely it’s only a matter of time before United generate another world class prospect from within?

Manchester City

With such a high standard in the first team squad, it takes a special academy player to break into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Phil Foden has been that player, with the City forward winning the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2023/24.

The likes of Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb – both now on the fringes of making regular first team appearances – are also success stories at the Etihad Stadium. City’s academy has gone from strength to strength and that bodes ill for everybody else.

Meanwhile, the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Micah Richards all graduated via City’s youth setup before the takeover and all fared well at Premier League level.