Leeds United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

Leeds United Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of Leeds United's youth teams and the club's former reserve team.

As of the 2023–24 season, they play in the Premier League 2 : Division 1, the top tier of the Professional Development League, following promotion from Division 2 of the 2022–23 Professional U21 Development League.Leeds United under-21 promotion

History The under-23s replaced the club's under-21 team in 2016, which had replaced the reserve team in 2012 following the English game's reform of the youth football and the introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan. The club was initially awarded Category Two status but upgraded to Category One in 2020.

Player eligibility For the 2026–27 season player eligibility is restricted to under-21 players born after 1 January 2005. Only players born after 1 January 2008 (primarily scholars), are eligible to play for the Under 18s.

Current players Italics denotes player has received a call up to the international age group squad but did not or has yet to receive a cap at that level.

Young ProfessionalsNationalityNumberNamePlace of BirthDate of BirthPositionInternationalOther58Robbie CookAustraliaGKAustralia u2048Rory MahadyKirkcaldy, ScotlandGKScotland U2149Darryl OmbangLeeds, EnglandGKEngland U17—Oliver WoodEnglandGK—Coban BirdPontefract, EnglandDF50Alfie CresswellEnglandDF—Louie DudleyEnglandDF62Louis Enahoro-MarcusBenin City, NigeriaDF—Will FirthAustraliaDF—Joshua HamiltonEnglandDFEngland U17—Jacob HowardEnglandDFEngland U1765Jayden LienouWigan, EnglandDF Wales U19—Jack MorrisEnglandDF—Leonard NgengeLagos, NigeriaDF Nigeria75Louie PhilpottEnglandDF—Sam AlkerEnglandMFEngland U1647Rhys ChadwickEnglandMF—Edward Ibrović-FletcherLeeds, England MF Serbia U1963Freddie LaneEnglandMF55Josh McDonaldScotlandMFScotland U1772Callum MillsEnglandMF66Ollie PicklesEnglandMF60Harvey VincentEnglandMFEngland U1673Loui WhiteheadEnglandMF—Kenneth MensahEnglandFWItaly U1651Ditmir HodjaNorth MacedoniaFWNorth Macedonia U19 2026–27 Out on Loan—George KenyonEnglandGKRamsbottom United—Reuben Lopata-WhiteBradford, EnglandDFAltrincham68Luke MatykiewiczEnglandDFNorthern Ireland U19Ilkeston Town45Harry GrayEnglandFWEngland U17Sheffield Wednesday42Sam ChambersHuddersfield, EnglandMFScotland U19Northampton Town40Charlie CrewCardiff, WalesMFWalesWalsall67Jacob RenderEnglandMFDarlington 2026–27 Scholars—George BanksEnglandGK—Oliver HerrickEnglandGK—Joshua WoolfreyEnglandGK90Liam BalmerEnglandDF—Isaac BridgeEnglandDF—Lloyd ChambersEnglandDF—Alex MasseyEnglandDF—Miller MegsonEnglandDF—Aiden ThompsonEnglandDF—Alfie WalkerEnglandDF Wales U17—Jacob WatsonEnglandDF—Oliver BennettEnglandMF—Joe BhaskaranEnglandMF—Marley Hazell-SchofieldEnglandMF—Owen HeywoodEnglandMF—Marlon MensahEnglandMFAustria U15—Kai MorrallIrelandMFRepublic of Ireland U16—Thomas StocktonEnglandMF—Zacharia van der GraafEnglandMF—Zach HitchenEnglandFWEngland U15—Oluwatobi JohnsonEnglandFW—Silva MexesNottingham, EnglandFWThailand U17—Carrick NjinkoFW—Bailey WatlingEnglandFW86Logan WhiteEnglandFW

Graduates The following list includes players who have graduated from Leeds' youth system to make their senior debut for the first team. Players who have represented their national team at senior level are highlighted in bold.

Harry Kewell Jamie McMaster Kun Temenuzhkov Tomi Ameobi Neil Aspin Lewis Bate Mick Bates David Batty Rod Belfitt Jason Blunt Rob Bowman Aiden Butterworth Sam Byram Alex Cairns Scott Carson Oliver Casey Jack Charlton Jack Clarke Terry Connor Lewis Cook Terry Cooper Andy Couzens Lewie Coyle Charlie Cresswell Leif Davis James Debayo Fabian Delph Tyler Denton Cody Drameh Ryan Edmondson Tom Elliott Gareth Evans Mark Ford Jamie Forrester Scott Gardner Robbie Gotts Archie Gray Harry Gray Simon Grayson Jimmy Greenhoff Sam Greenwood Tony Hackworth Grenville Hair Peter Hampton Terry Hibbitt Jonny Howson Will Huffer Norman Hunter Mark Jackson Jack Jenkins Simon Johnson Matthew Kilgallon Tom Lees Aaron Lennon John Lukic Paul Madeley Lee Matthews James Milner Alex Mowatt Ben Parker Tom Pearce Kalvin Phillips Paul Robinson Paul Reaney Frazer Richardson Scott Sellars Jamie Shackleton Kevin Sharp Paul Shepherd Alan Smith Peter Swan Charlie Taylor Mark Tinkler Simon Walton Noel Whelan Mallik Wilks Jonathan Woodgate Ronaldo Vieira Clarke Oduor Pascal Struijk Wesley Boyle Alfie McCalmont Bailey Peacock-Farrell Tommy Knarvik Robert Bayly Ian Harte Denis Irwin Gary Kelly Andy Keogh Simon Madden Alan Maybury Stephen McPhail Terry Phelan John Sheridan Eoghan Stokes Aidy White Dominic Poleon Billy Bremner Sam Chambers Andy Gray Eddie Gray Frank Gray David Harvey Peter Lorimer Stuart McKinstry Martin Woods Tommy Wright Mateo Joseph John Charles Charlie Crew Chris Dawson Neil Edwards Carl Harris Niall Huggins Matthew Jones Gary Speed Gary Sprake Byron Stevenson Terry Yorath

Other Professionals

Adam Berry Shane Cansdell-Sherriff Bobby Kamwa Daniel Batty James Baxendale David Brown Liam Darville Max Dean Kevin Dixon Matty Edwards Josh Falkingham Craig Farrell Martin Foster Luke Garbutt Ben Gordon Will Hatfield Sean Hessey Sam Hird Elliot Kebbie Nohan Kenneh Liam Kitching Nathan Lowndes Sean McGurk Tom Newey Paul Pettinger Jamie Price Danny Rose Neil Ross Gavin Rothery John Scales David Seaman Harpal Singh Matthew Smithard George Swan Tom Taiwo James Tavernier Danny Ward Michael Woods Adam Priestley Romario Vieira Warren Feeney Alan Cawley Barry Corr Caleb Folan Paul Keegan Damian Lynch Henry McStay Ian Morris Tom Cairney Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen Oli McBurnie Andrew Milne Kevin Smith Jamie Winter Chad Harpur Max McMillan Kevin Aherne-Evans Lawrence Davies Ryan Nicholls Craig Stiens Ethan Kachosa

Honours

Reserves League The Central League (Tier 1) Winners (2): 1936–37, 1997–98 The Central League, Division One East (Tier 2) Winners (2): 2008–09, 2009–10 Cup West Riding Senior Cup Winners (2): 1926–27, 1963–64

Under 23s League Premier League 2 Division 2 Champions (1): 2020–21 Professional Development League National Champions (1): 2018–19 Professional Development League North Division Champions (1): 2018–19

Under 21s Cup National League Cup Winners (1): 2024–25

Under 18s League U18 Professional Development League North Division Champions (1): 2012–13 U18 Professional Development League North Division Champions (1): 2017–18 Cup FA Youth Cup Winners (2): 1992–93, 1996–97

Under 17s League FA Premier Academy League (Tier 1) Winners (1): 2002–03 Cup Milk Cup Winners (1): 2002

Academy coaching staff

Academy Directors FromToNameNotes19921997Paul Hart19982000Alan Hill19992000Steve BeagleholeAssistant20002001Brian Kidd20002001Clive RichardsAssistant 20012005Gary WorthingtonAssistant 20022004Andy Ritchie20042010Neil Thompson20092010Daral PughAssistant 20102011Gwyn WilliamsActing20112012Chris Sulley20122015Steve Holmes20152016Paul Hart

Development Squad FromToNameNotes20122014Neil Redfearn20142015Jason BluntActing20152016Paul Hart20162017Jason BluntUnder 23s Coach20172020Carlos CorberánUnder 23s Coach20202022Mark JacksonUnder 23s Coach

Reserves FromToNameNotes19481960Willis Edwards19671975Cyril Patridge19781980Bryan Edwards19801991Peter Gunby19951997David Williams19971998Eddie Gray20002003Lucas Murtagh20032005Steve Agnew20062006David Geddis20062010Neil Thompson20102012Neil Redfearn

Under 19s & 17s and 18s & 16s

FromToNamePosition20002004Pop RobsonUnder 17s Coach (2000–01), Under 19s Coach (2001–04)20062007Steve AgnewUnder 18s Coach2007Paul BeesleyUnder 18s Coach20072009Daral PughUnder 16s CoachUnder 18s Coach (2007–09)20092012Neil RedfearnUnder 18s Coach20122014Richard NaylorUnder 18s Coach20142015Jason BluntUnder 18s Coach20152016John AndersonUnder 18s Manager20162017Andy GrayUnder 18s Coach20162020Mark JacksonUnder 18s Coach2020presentScott GardnerUnder 18s Coach

References

External links Official Leeds United F.C. website – Reserve Player Profiles Official Leeds United F.C. website – Academy Player Profiles