2024–25 Professional U18 Development League
Football league season
U18 Premier League Season 2024–25 Champions Aston Villa (1st title)Matches played 313(312 RS, 1 PO) Goals scored 1,350 (4.31 per match)(1349 RS, 1 PO) Top goalscorer Nicholas Oyekunle (27 goals)Biggest home win Manchester United 13–1 Leeds United (5 April 2025)Biggest away win Leeds United 0–8 Manchester United (2 November 2024)Highest scoring Manchester United 13–1 Leeds United (5 April 2025)Longest winning run 21 matchesManchester City (1 September 2024 – 26 April 2025) Longest unbeaten run 22 matches Manchester City (1 September 2024 – 10 May 2025) Longest winless run 13 matches Leeds United (17 August 2024 – 15 February 2025)Wolverhampton Wanderers (2 November 2024 – 15 March 2025) Longest losing run 6 matchesMiddlesbrough (31 August 2024 – 26 October 2024)Nottingham Forest (19 October 2024 – 14 December 2024)
The 2024–25 Professional U18 Development League was the 13th season of the Professional Development League system. There were 26 teams competing, divided into North and South divisions according to their region.
North
Results
South
Results
National Final
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
As of 17 May 2025
Hat-tricks
As of 3 May 2025
Note
(H) – Home; (A) – Away
4 – player scored 4 goals
6 - player scored 6 goals
Professional Development League
Football league season
U18 Professional Development League Season 2024–25 Champions Bristol City (1st Title)Matches played 344(341 RS, 3 PO) Goals scored 1,384 (4.02 per match)(1376 RS, 8 PO) Top goalscorer Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri Sheffield Wednesday (24 goals)Biggest home win Millwall 9–0 Bristol City (8 March 2025)Biggest away win Queens Park Rangers 0–8 Burnley (3 September 2024)Highest scoring Ipswich Town 7–4 Colchester United (18 January 2025),Peterborough United 3–8 Fleetwood Town (19 April 2025)Longest winning run 10 matches Burnley (14 December 2024 – 22 March 2025) Longest unbeaten run 17 matches Bristol City (14 September 2024 – 4 March 2025) Longest winless run 9 matches Colchester United (24 August 2024 – 2 November 2024) Fleetwood Town (31 August 2024 – 4 January 2025) Peterborough United (25 March 2025 – 3 May 2025) Longest losing run 9 matches Colchester United (24 August 2024 – 2 November 2024)
All statistics correct as of 16 May 2025.
The Professional Development League 2 is an 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 resulting in 31 games played. 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. Birmingham City are the defending champions. Brentford make their return to this level after 9 years.[ 37]
Tables
North Division
South Division
Results
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
Professional Development League National Final
EFL Youth Alliance
Football league season
The EFL Youth Alliance also known at times as League 3 is run by the Football League under the auspices of the Football League Youth Alliance . This is for academies that are Category Three and Four in the EPPP. The competition consists of the Under-18 sides from the Category Three and Category Four Academy Clubs of the EFL and Premier League, along with selected National League Clubs. 44 teams competed this season, one fewer than the previous season. Brentford made their return to Category Two status after nine years and left the league before the season.[ 37] Chesterfield returned after a five-year absence after their first team was promoted. Bromley joined the league as a Category Four Academy after their first team was promoted to the Football League for the first time.[ 38] However, Oldham Athletic did not return after their parent club lost their EPPP license. 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. This season there is no more split divisions or Merit Leagues the divisions are combined. All the teams are placed within two Divisions North and South. Afterwards, the regional champions will play in a playoff final to decide the winner.
League stage
As of match played 10 May 2025 [ 39]
North Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Bolton Wanderers (R, C)
24
19
3
2
83
25
+58
60
2
Wrexham
24
18
4
2
74
27
+47
58
3
Rotherham United
24
13
5
6
52
39
+13
44
4
Preston North End
24
14
2
8
65
53
+12
44
5
Lincoln City
24
12
5
7
46
36
+10
41
6
Blackpool
24
11
7
6
52
41
+11
40
7
Burton Albion
24
11
6
7
51
37
+14
39
8
Chesterfield
24
12
3
9
41
38
+3
39
9
Port Vale
24
10
5
9
47
42
+5
35
10
Stockport County
24
10
4
10
45
40
+5
34
11
Bradford City
24
9
7
8
45
42
+3
34
12
Grimsby Town
24
9
7
8
42
41
+1
34
13
Mansfield Town
24
11
1
12
36
40
−4
34
14
Accrington Stanley
24
9
5
10
52
60
−8
32
15
Doncaster Rovers
24
9
5
10
32
40
−8
32
16
Rochdale
24
8
6
10
53
55
−2
30
17
Morecambe
24
8
6
10
44
47
−3
30
18
Harrogate Town
24
8
6
10
49
54
−5
30
19
Shrewsbury Town
24
6
8
10
37
46
−9
26
20
Walsall
24
7
5
12
35
47
−12
26
21
Salford City
24
7
4
13
51
69
−18
25
22
Carlisle United
24
6
6
12
28
39
−11
24
23
Hartlepool United
24
4
6
14
38
59
−21
18
24
Notts County
24
4
5
15
29
70
−41
17
25
Huddersfield Town
24
4
1
19
31
71
−40
13
Updated to match(es) played on 10 May 2025. Source:
soccerway.com (C) Champions;
(R) Regional League Champions
South Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Luton Town (R)
27
22
2
3
85
36
+49
68
2
Oxford United
26
20
2
4
72
32
+40
62
3
AFC Wimbledon
27
18
3
6
75
43
+32
57
4
Gillingham
27
17
3
7
73
47
+26
54
5
Plymouth Argyle
26
14
4
8
59
36
+23
46
6
Leyton Orient
27
14
4
9
59
39
+20
46
7
Swindon Town
26
12
3
11
56
50
+6
39
8
Stevenage
27
11
6
10
43
43
0
39
9
Sutton United
27
11
6
10
41
51
−10
39
10
Portsmouth
26
12
1
13
45
54
−9
37
11
Bromley
27
10
7
10
50
51
−1
37
12
Cheltenham Town
26
10
4
12
49
60
−11
34
13
Forest Green Rovers
26
10
1
15
50
58
−8
31
14
Milton Keynes Dons
27
9
4
14
47
54
−7
31
15
Cambridge United
27
7
6
14
50
65
−15
27
16
Bristol Rovers
26
6
3
17
42
72
−30
21
17
Newport County
26
6
2
18
49
75
−26
20
18
Northampton Town
27
6
2
19
39
81
−42
20
19
Exeter City
26
5
1
20
38
75
−37
16
Updated to match(es) played on 3 May 2025. Source:
soccerway.com (R) Regional Champions
EFL Youth Alliance National Final
See also
References
^ "Premier League U18 - Top Scorers" . Flashscore . Retrieved 2 September 2024 .
^ "Newcastle United U18s / Derby County U18s - English U18 Premier League - Newcastle United Academy, - Newcastle United" . newcastleunited.com . 24 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024 .
^ "Match Report: Derby County U18 6-2 Stoke City U18" . dcfc.co.uk . 31 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024 .
^ "U18s report: West Brom 3-3 Arsenal" . arsenal.com . 31 August 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024 .
^ "U18S Summary: United v Blackburn" . manutd.com . 28 September 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024 .
^ "U18S Report: Nottingham Forest 4-1 Leeds United" . leedsunited.com . 28 September 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024 .
^ "U18s report: Brighton 3-3 Arsenal" . arsenal.com . 28 September 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024 .
^ "Match Report: Leeds United U18 0-6 Derby County U18" . dcfc.co.uk . 19 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024 .
^ "U18S: Arsenal 2-4 Aston Villa" . avfc.co.uk . 21 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024 .
^ "Academy. Leeds United Under-18s 4 Newcastle United Under-18s 5" . newcastleunited.com . 26 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024 .
^ "U18S: United v Nottingham Forest" . manutd.com . 26 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024 .
^ "Highlights & Reaction Sowunmi scores hat-trick as U18s power past Reading" . whufc.com . 26 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024 .
^ "U18S Match Summary: Leeds v United" . manutd.com . 26 October 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024 .
^ "U18S Match Summary: Leeds v United" . manutd.com . 2 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024 .
^ "Blackburn U18 v Nott'm Forest, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 9 November 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2025 .
^ "U18S: Aston Villa 1-3 West Ham United" . avfc.co.uk . 10 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024 .
^ "Man City U18 v Newcastle U18, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 30 November 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2025 .
^ "Tottenham Hotspur U18s v Brighton & Hove Albion U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025 .
^ "Southampton U18s v Arsenal U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025 .
^ "West Ham United U18s v Leicester City U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025 .
^ "Norwich City U18s v Crystal Palace U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025 .
^ "Southampton U18s v Norwich City U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 21 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025 .
^ "Middlesbrough U18s v Derby County U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 12 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025 .
^ "Tottenham Hotspur U18s v Arsenal U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 8 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025 .
^ "Southampton U18s v Brighton & Hove Albion U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 8 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025 .
^ "Leicester City U18s v Arsenal U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 5 April 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025 .
^ a b "Manchester United U18s v Leeds United U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 5 April 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025 .
^ "Leeds United U18s v Everton U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 8 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025 .
^ "Sunderland U18s v Liverpool U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 12 April 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025 .
^ "Chelsea U18s v Southampton U18s, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 12 April 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025 .
^ "Sunderland U18 v Blackburn U18, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025 .
^ "Leicester City U18 v Tottenham Hotspur U18, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025 .
^ "Leeds United U18 v Wolverhampton Wanderers U18, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025 .
^ "Arsenal U18 v Reading U18, 2024/25" . premierleague.com . 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025 .
^ "Newcastle United U18s / Leeds United U18s - English U18 Premier League - Newcastle United Academy, - Newcastle United" . newcastleunited.com . 20 April 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025 .
^ "Middlesbrough U18s vs Leeds United U18s" . newcastleunited.com . 3 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025 .
^ a b "Brentford U18s fixtures released" . brentfordfc.com . 6 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024 .
^ "Bromley FC to Launch B Team Strategy for 2024/25" . Bromley FC . 16 August 2024.
^ "Football League Youth Alliance" . Soccerway . Retrieved 21 October 2024 .
External links
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2–4 Levels 5–6 Levels 7–8 Levels 9–10
Combined Counties League (Premier North , Premier South , One )
Eastern Counties League (Premier , One North , One South )
Essex Senior League (level 9 only)
Hellenic League (Premier , One )
Midland League (Premier , One )
Northern Counties East League (Premier , One )
Northern League (One , Two )
North West Counties League (Premier , One North , One South )
Southern Combination League (Premier , One )
Southern Counties East League (Premier , One )
South West Peninsula League (Premier East , Premier West - level 10 only )
Spartan South Midlands League (Premier , One )
United Counties League (Premier North , Premier South , One )
Wessex League (Premier , One )
Western League (Premier , One )
Cup competitions
Youth competitions