The 2025–26 Premier League 2 was the 14th season of the Professional Development League system. It continued to use the same format as the previous 2 seasons with a change from places 17 to 24. The sides that finished in the top eight positions of the Professional U21 Development League 2 at the end of the season progressed to a playoff stage against teams 17–24. 29 Category One Academies competed, the most in league history. Three teams joined with Category One status with Birmingham City U21s, Burnley U21s returning after a three-season absence and Ipswich Town U21s playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time.
Premier League 2
Table
Matches
Elimination Playoffs
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Shumaira MheukaChelsea U21s182 Braiden GrahamEverton U21s163 Kieran MorrisonLiverpool U21s144 Chido ObiManchester United U21s135 Keyrol FigueroaLiverpool U21s126 Bradley BurrowesAston Villa U21s11 Nicholas OyekunleSouthampton U21s8 Sean NeaveNewcastle United U21s10 Farhaan Ali WahidFulham U21s Matthew WarhurstManchester City U21s
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Shane Nti Brighton & Hove Albion U21s West Bromwich Albion U21s 0–4 (A) Shumaira Mheuka Chelsea U21s Manchester City U21s 3–1 (H) Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi Sunderland U21s Tottenham Hotspur U21s 3–5 (H) Zach Marsh Crystal Palace U21s Tottenham Hotspur U21s 2–3 (A) Luca Williams-Barnett Tottenham Hotspur U21s Leicester City U21s 3–6 (A) Josh Landers West Ham United U21sBrighton & Hove Albion U21s 3–3 (H) Gabriele Biancheri Manchester United U21s Tottenham Hotspur U21s 4–1 (H) Keyrol Figueroa Liverpool U21s Everton U21s 4–1 (H) Shumaira Mheuka Chelsea U21s Crystal Palace U21s 4–1 (H) Kieran Morrison Liverpool U21s Arsenal U21s 7–0 (H) Cruz Ibeh Middlesbrough U21sIpswich Town U21s 6–1 (H) Sean Patton Reading U21sBlackburn Rovers U21s 4–1 (H) Kadan Young Aston Villa U21sIpswich Town U21s 5–4 (H) Floyd Samba Manchester City U21sStoke City U21s 1–6 (A) Demiane Agustien Arsenal U21sLeeds United U21s 0–4 (A) Shea Lacey Manchester United U21sWest Bromwich Albion U21s 1–4 (A) Matheos Ferreira Newcastle United U21sAston Villa U21s 3–4 (A) Reece Evans Reading U21sStoke City U21s 3–0 (H) Chido Obi4 Manchester United U21sLeicester City U21s 1–4 (A) Jack Daley Middlesbrough U21sStoke City U21s 6–1 (H) Jack Bray West Bromwich Albion U21sBirmingham City U21s 4–0 (H) Braiden Graham4 Everton U21sIpswich Town U21s 8–4 (H) (H) – Home; (A) – Away 4 – player scored 4 goals
Awards Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubRef.August Shumaira MheukaChelsea U21sSeptember Lucá Williams-BarnettTottenham Hotspur U21sOctober Brandon PowellBlackburn Rovers U21sNovember Farhaan Ali WahidFulham U21sJanuary Kieran MorrisonLiverpool U21sFebruary Joshua AjalaWest Ham United U21sMarch Ryan Kavuma-McQueenChelsea U21s
Player of the Season PlayerClubRef. Shumaira MheukaChelsea U21s
Professional Development League
The Professional Development League, sometimes known as the Professional Development League 2, is Under-21 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league, previously split regionally into north and south divisions, is now a single table with teams playing a geographically aligned fixture schedule. The sides that finished in the top eight positions at the end of the season progressed to a playoff stage against Premier League 2 opposition. Brentford U21s are the defending champions.
20 teams competed in the league this season, two fewer than the previous season. Three teams joined with Category One status with Birmingham City U21s, Burnley U21s returning after a three-season absence and six total seasons and founding member Ipswich Town U21s playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time after 13 seasons. However, Huddersfield Town U21s returned after being granted Category Two academy status after 7 years.
Table
Matches
PL2/PDL Playoffs
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Adam MoseleyWigan Athletic U21s232 Morgan BatesSwansea City U21s203 Jonny DayAFC Bournemouth U21s15 Devlan MosesSheffield Wednesday U21s Josh PescatoreSwansea City U21s6 Ethan LaidlawBrentford U21s14 Cole SimmsWigan Athletic U21s8 Amin NabizadaWatford U21s12 Tom WoodwardSwansea City U21s10 Will GraingerSheffield Wednesday U21s10 Louie MarshSheffield United U21s Nickson OkosunWatford U21s
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Jevan Beattie Sheffield United U21s Watford U21s 0–5 (A) Adam Moseley4 Wigan Athletic U21s Swansea City U21s 5–2 (H) Louie Marsh Sheffield United U21s Barnsley U21s 5–2 (H) Adam Moseley4 Wigan Athletic U21s Coventry City U21s 0–9 (A) Cole Simms Wigan Athletic U21s Coventry City U21s 0–9 (A) Adam Moseley4 Wigan Athletic U21s Barnsley U21s 2–7 (A) Jaydon Thomas-Smith Millwall U21s Colchester United U21s 0–6 (A) Conrad Ambursley Coventry City U21s Hull City U21s 2–4 (A) George Sebine Huddersfield Town U21s Peterborough United U21s 2–4 (A) Nickson Okosun Watford U21s Queens Park Rangers U21s 5–0 (H) Devlan Moses Sheffield Wednesday U21sHuddersfield Town U21s 6–8 (H) Kaheim Dixon Charlton Athletic U21sSwansea City U21s 6–0 (H) Morgan Bates Swansea City U21sQueens Park Rangers U21s 3–1 (H) Devlan Moses Sheffield Wednesday U21sFleetwood Town U21s 3–3 (A) Ethan Laidlaw Brentford U21sFleetwood Town U21s 6–1 (H) Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez AFC Bournemouth U21sFleetwood Town U21s 2–6 (A) Note (H) – Home; (A) – Away 4 – player scored 4 goals
References