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.

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 2025–26 season player eligibility is restricted to under-21 players born after 1 January 2004. Only players born after 1 January 2007 (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.

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

Development Squad

Reserves

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

References

External links

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