Today (Friday, September 12) marks the EFL’s celebration of Youth Development across the 72 League clubs. Here at Exeter City, we are 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 has developed some the South West’s best young prospects through education and football. George Friend was the first to graduate that same year and went on to captain Middlesbrough in the Premier League - beginning an emphatic 20-year trend!
The transfer fees received from the sales of these players has helped the club compete and succeed with its supporter-owned model. Some of the funds are also reinvested in the infrastructure at the club to improve the facilities we have available for our young players to train.
The success stories have not just been at club level - just this year Jay Stansfield earned plaudits for his performances in the U21 European Championships, where England beat Germany in the final and that means that ECFC Academy graduates have featured in the final of both the mens and U21 European Championships across the past two summers, after Ollie Watkins fired England to the final of Euro 2024 with his fantastic strike against the Netherlands.
The Exeter City Academy prides itself on developing players and giving them a chance in the first team and playing them when they are ready is a large part of that. The academy has had many graduates from its youth system. As well as representing Exeter City at first team level, some players have also gone on to join teams in the Premier League and Championship.
We may only be only a month into the 25/26 season, but we've already witnessed first team EFL League debuts for the trio of George Birch, Kieran Wilson and Charlie Cummins as they look to impress in red and white.
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.
We have been ranked Number One Category Club in terms of productivity by Training Ground Guru, for the second year running. (Click here for the article). We are also ranked 27th in the country, above Championship and Premier League sides such as Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
The 24/25 season saw a first for the club as Jake Richards was named EFL apprentice of the year for League One. It was been quite the season for 17-year-old Jake, who made 20 first team appearances - 12 in EFL Sky Bet League One. Jake played 633 league minutes and hit the milestone of scoring his first League goal in City's 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers on Boxing Day. Jake also scored a stunning free-kick from distance against Spurs U21s in the Vertu Motors Trophy earlier in the season.
During the 2024/25 season, 98% of the ECFC First Team team-sheets included one or more Academy graduates, whilst the average amongst EFL Clubs was 76% (73% in League One). Also ten different Academy graduates represented the First Team throughout the season.
Louie Cayles 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.
The loan system continues to be a great platform for our young players to gain experience, with both Tom Dean and Liam Oakes making their EFL League debuts at the end of last season, following successful loans at Plymouth Parkway. The club also had players experiencing loans in the National League with Pedro Borges and Ed James playing at Yeovil Town.
It is likely the loan system will be used once again this season for some of the young professionals and potentially the apprentices too.
The club has once again entered the U21 Premier League Cup following a successful campaign in 2024/25 that saw the players top their group unbeaten. This season has started with a 1-0 win at home to Luton Town with U19 Forward, Kieran Wilson, scoring the winning goal, with fixtures to come against Brentford, West Brom (home and away) and Luton Town away.
Academy graduate, Alfie Pond made his Premier League debut for Wolves against Fulham last November, becoming the 7th player from Exeter City’s Academy to make a Premier League appearance.
Don’t just take our word for how special the Exeter City Academy is. EFL provided statistics for the 2024/25 season show that:
- During the 2024/25 season, 98% of the ECFC First Team team-sheets included 1 or more Academy graduates, whilst the average amongst EFL Clubs was 76% (73% in League One).
- 10 different Academy graduates represented the First Team during the 2024/25 season.
- 2 Academy graduates have already made EFL League debuts at the start of the 2025/26 season, George Birch and Kieran Wilson.
- During the 2024/25 season, 7 different ECFC Academy graduates played international football: Ollie Watkins (England), Ethan Ampadu (Wales), Jamie Reid (Northern Ireland), Jay Stansfield & Ben Chrisene (England U21), Ed James (Wales U21), George Williams (Wales U15)
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!".