U18 Premier League
The 2020–21 Professional U18 Development League was the ninth season of the Professional Development League system. A total of 26 teams are split regionally into north and south leagues. Teams face their regional opponents both home and away before the top two face each other to determine the national champion. This results in 24 games played by both teams this season. Burnley U18s, Crystal Palace U18s and Leeds United U18s joined the U18 Premier League for the 2020–21 season after gaining category one status academies. Prior to the start of the season Swansea City left the league after downgrading their academy to category two. North
South
National Final
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Charlie McNeillManchester United U18s242 Mika BierethFulham U18s21 David OmilabuCrystal Palace U18s3 Tai SodjeManchester City U18s194 Dane ScarlettTottenham Hotspur U18s175 Kieron BowieFulham U18s15 Layton StewartLiverpool U18s6 Jude Soonsup-BellChelsea U18s147 Carlos ForbsManchester City U18s13 Calum KavanaghMiddlesbrough U18s Brad YoungAston Villa U18s8 Dillon HoogewerfManchester United U18s129 Josh CoburnMiddlesbrough U18s11 Zac EmmersonBrighton & Hove Albion U18s Micah HamiltonManchester City U18s Andrew MoranBrighton & Hove Albion U18s Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Thomas Dickson-Peters Norwich City U18s West Bromwich Albion U18s 5–1 (H) Layton Stewart Liverpool U18sStoke City U18s 5–1 (H) Tai Sodje Manchester City U18sLiverpool U18s 1–3 (A) Josh Coburn Middlesbrough U18sSunderland U18s 4–0 (H) Layton Stewart Liverpool U18sBlackburn Rovers U18s 0–3 (A) Sam Bellis Southampton U18sLeicester City U18s 8–2 (H) Kido Taylor-Hart Arsenal U18sNorwich City U18s 5–1 (H) Andrew Moran Brighton & Hove Albion U18sLeicester City U18s 7–1 (H) Sam Unwin Burnley U18sLeeds United U18s 3–2 (H) Jude Soonsup-Bell4 Chelsea U18sLeicester City U18s 8–1 (H) Dane Scarlett4 Tottenham Hotspur U18sSouthampton U18s 7–0 (H) Kaide Gordon Derby County U18sBlackburn Rovers U18s 5–1 (H) Dillon Hoogewerf Manchester United U18sNewcastle United U18s 4–1 (H) Dane Scarlett Tottenham Hotspur U18sCrystal Palace U18s 1–5 (A) Alexander Robertson4 Manchester City U18sDerby County U18s 7–0 (H) Zak Gilsenan Blackburn Rovers U18sManchester United U18s 3–4 (H) Terell Pennant Leicester City U18sNorwich City U18s 4–3 (H) Charlie McNeill4 Manchester United U18sManchester City U18s 4–2 (H) Mika Biereth Fulham U18sTottenham Hotspur U18s 5–0 (H) Mika Biereth Fulham U18sAston Villa U18s 4–1 (H) Lui Bradbury Leeds United U18sWolverhampton Wanderers U18s 3–1 (H) Michael Mellon Burnley U18sSunderland U18s 4–0 (H) Roshaun Mathurin Tottenham Hotspur U18sChelsea U18s 1–6 (A) David Omilabu Crystal Palace U18sWest Ham United U18s 5–1 (H) Divin Mubama West Ham United U18sReading U18s 4–1 (H) Alejandro Garnacho Manchester United U18sStoke City U18s 6–1 (H) Myles Peart-Harris Chelsea U18sAston Villa U18s 0–7 (A) Brad Young4 Aston Villa U18sWest Bromwich Albion U18s 6–4 (H) Luke Plange Derby County U18sLeeds United U18s 5–0 (H) Dylan Stephenson Newcastle United U18sSunderland U18s 4–4 (A) Mika Biereth Fulham U18sLeicester City U18s 0–8 (A) Charlie McNeill Manchester United U18sMiddlesbrough U18s 8–1 (H) Dillon Hoogewerf Manchester United U18sMiddlesbrough U18s 8–1 (H) Note (H) – Home; (A) – Away 4 – player scored 4 goals
Professional Development League 2
The 2020-21 Under-18 League 2, or Under-18s Professional Development League 2 as it is sometimes referred to, is the seventh campaign of post-EPPP Under-18 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league is split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away and opponents in the other region once home OR away. This results in 25 games being played in the North Division, and South Division. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Wigan Athletic U18s and Millwall U18s are the defending regional champions. 18 teams competed in the league this season. Swansea City U18s dropped down to Category Two status in August 2020 and will join the South division this season. Tables North Division
South Division
Knock-out stage Semi-finals
Professional Development League Two Play-Off Final
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Tom Costello Wigan Athletic U18s202 Harrison NeeCoventry City U18s183 Tom StaggColchester United U18s174 Oli BateMillwall U18s14 James CroleCardiff City U18s Sean McGurk Wigan Athletic U18s7 Abdul AbdulmalikMillwall U18s138 Alex BonningtonSheffield Wednesday U18s12 Will LankshearSheffield United U18s Kieran WakefieldBirmingham City U18s11 Hassan AyariSheffield United U18s10 Ola BelloIpswich Town U18s Tyreece CampbellCharlton Athletic U18s14 George HallBirmingham City U18s9 Rico PattersonBirmingham City U18s Damani HunterWatford U18s Detlef Esapa OsongNottingham Forest U18s
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Tom Stagg4 Colchester United U18sWatford U18s 2–7 (A) Harrison Nee Coventry City U18sQueens Park Rangers U18s 1–6 (A) Tom Costello Wigan Athletic U18sColchester United U18s 1–5 (A) Dale Taylor Nottingham Forest U18sQueens Park Rangers U18s 7–0 (H) Fin Back Nottingham Forest U18sCardiff City U18s 6–2 (H) Sean McGurk Wigan Athletic U18sCrewe Alexandra U18s 5–1 (H) Alex Bonnington Sheffield Wednesday U18sColchester United U18s 6–0 (H) Charlie Finney Crewe Alexandra U18sHull City U18s 1–6 (A) Oli Bate Millwall U18sBristol City U18s 6–1 (H) Remi Walker Birmingham City U18sCrewe Alexandra U18s 2–5 (A) Detlef Esapa Osong Nottingham Forest U18sWigan Athletic U18s 3–2 (H) Will Lankshear Sheffield United U18sCoventry City U18s 1–4 (A) Euan Williams Charlton Athletic U18sColchester United U18s 5–2 (A) McCauley Snelgrove Hull City U18sSheffield United U18s 6–5 (H) Oli Bate Millwall U18sQueens Park Rangers U18s 0–4 (A) McCauley Snelgrove Hull City U18sCrewe Alexandra U18s 3–4 (A) Jack Sherlock Barnsley U18sQueens Park Rangers U18s 1–3 (A) Bailey Cadamarteri Sheffield Wednesday U18sIpswich Town U18s 1–5 (A) Alex Bonnington Sheffield Wednesday U18sHull City U18s 3–0 (H) Tom Stagg Colchester United U18sIpswich Town U18s 0–6 (A) Tom Leahy Millwall U18sSwansea City U18s 4–4 (A) Leo Dos Reis Birmingham City U18sIpswich Town U18s 4–2 (H) Detlef Esapa Osong Nottingham Forest U18sMillwall U18s 2–5 (A) Marlee Francois4 Bristol City U18sCharlton Athletic U18s 2–4 (A) James Crole Cardiff City U18sIpswich Town U18s 6–0 (H) Note (H) – Home; (A) – Away 4 – player scored 4 goals
EFL Youth Alliance
The EFL Youth Alliance is run by the Football League under the auspices of the Football League Youth Alliance. 45 teams competed this season, 2 teams fewer than the previous season. Barnet U18s did not participate as they lost their EPPP license, alongside Chesterfield U18s, and Hartlepool United U18s. For clubs that get relegated to the National League, they have two years to gain promotion back to the EFL. Otherwise, they lose their license with the League. Bolton Wanderers U18s would join the league this year as their academy was Category 3. League stage
North-East Division
North-West Division
South-East Division
South-West Division
Merit League Stage The teams in the Southeast and Southwest Divisions played another ten games to determine the champions of Merit League One and Merit League Two and for this season only Merit League 3 as all three leagues would only contain 7 teams. Due to Covid, the Three Merit Leagues were regionalized for this season only. Merit League One
Merit League Two
Merit League Three
See also 2020–21 in English football
References