# Sheffield United F.C. Academy

Sheffield United Football Club Youth Academy are the youth team of Sheffield United. The Under-18 and Under-23 teams play in Professional Development League 2.
The Academy is currently run by Jack Lester while Derek Geary coaches the U18s side. Sheffield United's youth system was given Academy status in December 2002. In July 2017 the academy was recognised, in a study conducted by Press Association Sport, for having the 7th best academy for minutes played in the 2016–17 Premier League. In between Arsenal and Chelsea they placed by far the highest for a club outside the top-flight.
The team plays at the Shirecliffe Ground at Firshill Crescent.

## Current squad

    Updated 2 December 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 31 | GK | ENG | Luke Faxon |
| 46 | GK | ENG | Henry Molyneux |
| 43 | DF | ENG | Harry Boyes |
| — | DF | ENG | Jili Buyabu |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Jamal Baptiste |
| 53 | DF | ENG | Sam Colechin |
| 47 | DF | SCO | Evan Easton |
| — | DF | ENG | Mehki Haughton-Parris |
| — | DF | ENG | Jayden Prunty |
| 45 | DF | ENG | Sai Sachdev |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Jack Waldron |
| 48 | MF | ENG | Sam Aston |
| 41 | MF | ENG | Billy Blacker |
| 50 | MF | ENG | Ethan Cummings |
| 49 | MF | ENG | Jay Tinsdale |
| — | FW | ENG | Kurtis Havenhand |
| 54 | FW | ENG | Marshall Francis |
| 39 | FW | SCO | Ryan Oné |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 44 | MF | WAL | Owen Hampson (on loan at Dunfermline Athletic) |
| — | DF | ENG | Miguel Freckleton (on loan at Swindon Town) |
| — | FW | ENG | Antwoine Hackford (on loan at Port Vale) |

## List of Academy managers

| Name | Nationality | From | To |
| John Warnock and Ron Reid | England | | |
| John Pemberton | England | 23 March 2010 | 7 September 2012 |
| Jamie Hoyland | England | 25 September 2012 | 5 December 2012 |
| Nick Cox | England | 1 January 2013 | 12 May 2016 |
| Travis Binnion | Ireland | 1 July 2016 | 19 July 2019 |
| Jack Lester | England | 19 July 2019 | 25 November 2021 |
| Derek Geary | Ireland | 11 January 2022 | |

## Notable Academy Graduates

The Academy has produced England internationals such as Phil Jagielka, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire as well as many players who have gone on to have careers in professional football, whether at Sheffield United or at other clubs. Current Sheffield United players are highlighted in green.
| Player | Current Club | Born | International Honours | Notes |
| Liban Abdi | Retired | Burao | | |
| Micky Adams | Retired | Sheffield | England Youth | Former Manager |
| Frank Barlow | Retired | Mexborough | | Former Assistant Manager |
| Aaron Barry | Bray Wanderers | Dublin | | |
| Alan Birchenall | Retired | East Ham | England under-23 | |
| David Brooks | Bournemouth | Warrington | Full Wales call-up | |
| Scott Boden | Boreham Wood | Sheffield | | |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Everton | Sheffield | Full England cap | |
| Adam Chapman | Gainsborough Trinity | Doncaster | Northern Ireland under-21 | |
| Ryan Cresswell | Retired | Rotherham | | |
| Kevin Davies | Retired | Sheffield | Full England Cap | |
| Connor Dimaio | Boston United | Chesterfield | Ireland under-21 | |
| Diego De Girolamo | Buxton | Chesterfield | Italy under-19 | |
| Martin Donnelly | Linfield | Belfast | Full Northern Ireland Cap | |
| Jonathan Forte | Retired | Sheffield | Full Barbados Caps | |
| Alan Hodgkinson | Retired | Laughton-en-le-Morthen | Full England Caps | |
| Evan Horwood | West Auckland Town | Billingham | | |
| Kevan Hurst | Guiseley | Chesterfield | | |
| Phil Jagielka | Retired | Sale | Full England Caps | |
| Mick Jones | Retired | Worksop | Full England Caps | |
| Otis Khan | Walsall | Ashton-under-Lyne | | |
| Nicky Law | Indy Eleven | Nottingham | | |
| George Long | Millwall | Sheffield | England under-20 | |
| Matthew Lowton | Burnley | Chesterfield | | |
| Harry Maguire | Manchester United | Sheffield | Full England caps | World Record Transfer Fee for a Central Defender |
| Callum McFadzean | Wrexham | Sheffield | Scotland under-21 | |
| Kyle McFadzean | Blackburn Rovers | Sheffield | England C | |
| Jacob Mellis | Southend United | Nottingham | England under-19 | |
| Nick Montgomery | Retired | Leeds | Scotland Futures | |
| Kyle Naughton | Swansea City | Sheffield | England under-21 | |
| George Oghani | Retired | Manchester | | |
| David Parkhouse | Ballymena United | Strabane | Northern Ireland under-21 | |
| Tony Philliskirk | Retired | Sunderland | | |
| Ben Purkiss | Retired | Sheffield | | |
| Stephen Quinn | Mansfield Town | Dublin | Full Ireland Caps | |
| Wayne Quinn | Retired | Truro | | |
| Aaron Ramsdale | Arsenal | Stoke-on-Trent | Full England Caps | |
| Louis Reed | Swindon Town | Barnsley | England under-20 | |
| Chris Robertson | Coalville Town | Dundee | | |
| Jordan Slew | FC Halifax Town | Sheffield | England under-19 | |
| Billy Sharp | Hull City | Sheffield | | EFL Championship record goalscorer |
| Graham Shaw | Retired | Sheffield | Full England Caps | Deceased |
| Ben Starosta | Free Agent | Sheffield | Poland under-20 | |
| Aymen Tahar | Athlitiki Enosi Larissa | Sheffield | Algeria under-20 | |
| Nicky Travis | Retired | Sheffield | | |
| Michael Tonge | Retired | Manchester | England under-21 | |
| Kyle Walker | Manchester City | Sheffield | Full England Caps | |
| Sam Wedgbury | Stalybridge Celtic | Oldbury | | |
| Alan Woodward | Retired | Chapeltown | | |
| Dane Whitehouse | Retired | Sheffield | | |
| Elliott Whitehouse | Forest Green Rovers | Worksop | | |
| Ben Whiteman | Preston North End | Rochdale | | |

## Honours

* FA Youth Cup: 2011 – Runners-up
* Professional U18 Development League 2: 2016–17 – Champions