This week marks the EFL’s celebration of Youth Development across the 72 League clubs. Here at Exeter City, we are no stranger to - if not renowned for - our fantastic promotion of academy players into first team football.
As a supporter-owned club, the Academy has been a vital source of first team talent, countrywide recognition, and valuable income.
After its 2006 restructure, the Exeter City Academy works on a three-tiered ‘Players Progression Pathway’ which develops the South West’s best young prospects through education and football. George Friend was the first to graduate that same year and has gone on to captain Middlesbrough in the Premier League - beginning an emphatic 20-year trend! Just last year Ollie Watkins was firing England to the final of Euro 2024 with his fantastic strike against the Netherlands.
Not only is the Academy’s goal to produce the next generation of footballers, but Exeter City also prides itself in developing well rounded young men and women - suitably fitting our ethos as a club for the community. For Everyone.
Just this season in September Louie Cayless became the fourth player to make their first team debut on or before their 16th birthday in the past 8 years, following in the footsteps of Ethan Ampadu, Ben Chrisene and Jake Richards.
Jake Richards has made the second most appearances in League One this season by an U18 player, with only Andre Garcia (Reading FC) appearing more times. Jake has made 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season, with 11 of these coming in the League. He’s also currently the only U18 player to have scored a goal in League One this season alongside his first professional goal in the Vertu Trophy against Spurs U21s.
The loan system continues to be a great platform for our young players to gain experience, with U18 to U21 players featuring for teams between the National League and Southern League Division One this season. Most notably, Mitch Beardmore scored 6 goals in one game for Plymouth Parkway in the Southern Premier League this season, before up the pyramid to Bath City in the National League South for a second successful loan in 2024/25.
The U21s finished the group stage of this season’s Premier League Cup as one of only three teams to remain unbeaten (the others being Burnley and Charlton), winning 5 of our 6 games against Norwich City, Bristol City and Bromley and drawing one.
Academy graduate, Alfie Pond made his Premier League debut for Wolves against Fulham in November, becoming the 7th player from Exeter City’s Academy to make a Premier League appearance.
During the 2023/24 season, Exeter City graduates started at striker for England U21 and England Men’s teams in consecutive evenings, as Jay Stansfield started against Northern Ireland U21 and Ollie Watkins leading the line against North Macedonia. This season, George Williams has represented Wales U15s and Ed James has been called up to the Wales U21 squad.
Don’t just take our word for how special the Exeter City Academy is. EFL provided statistics for the 2023/24 season show that:
- 100% of ECFC Team-sheets contained 2 or more Academy graduates, the EFL average was 59%
- Academy developed players contributed to 15% of the total first team playing minutes, the average for Category 3 Clubs was 6%.
- 7 Academy graduates made First Team debuts, the average in the EFL was 3.16
As the EFL celebrates Youth Development across the three leagues, the chorus from the Big Bank will always hail the "local lads… who love the Red and White, because the Academy is Dynamite!".