Football clubs, not only in the Premier League but around the world, take great satisfaction in developing talent through their academy levels in the hopes that they will go on to do great things in the beautiful game. That may not be true for the side that developed them at a young age; currently, this is rarely the case.
The breakthrough rate is rather low, particularly at the top of the English football pyramid. According to a report from 2022, 97% of Premier League academy players will never play a minute in the top flight, indicating the modernity of football and the role of academies. A new analysis conducted by Training Ground Guru since 2016/17 has revealed which academies are thriving the most.
Their rankings rate academies across England based on the number of graduates who appear in at least one of the top five English leagues (the Premier League, Football League, and National League) as well as Europe’s top five divisions (La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1). Let’s take a look at the top 25, which includes Manchester City and Southampton.
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Alan Shearer is Newcastle United’s top academy graduate of all time. Since the striker, the northeast club has not had the same success with their academy, as indicated by their 25th-place rating. Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion, who have one of the oddest rivalries in football history, had a lot of success with their young teams last season.
Next up are Leicester City, now in England’s second division tournament, and Norwich City, which produced Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy. Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland, which are delighted to have produced Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford, come next, followed by Middlesbrough and Fulham in 16th and 15th place, respectively.
Reading, while it may not appear so at first glance, has produced a plethora of quality football players over the years. Michael Olise of Bayern Munich is their most noteworthy recent graduate. Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, and Leeds United, who won promotion under Daniel Farke, are unfortunate not to be in the top ten, ranking 13th, 12th, and 11th, respectively.
10Sheffield United – 94.45
Sheffield United are the first of two clubs on this list that do not play in the Premier League. The Blades may have a Category Two academy, but that does not diminish the amount of quality generated from their ranks over the years. For example, David Brooks, who spent four years with the club between 2014 and 2018, now plays for Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United and Kyle Walker, who played for Manchester City and AC Milan last season, are two of England’s best defenders in recent years. Both graduated from Sheffield United’s academy in the mid-to-late 2000s. Oliver Arblaster is the most noteworthy academy product who has progressed to senior status in their current squad.
9Southampton – 96.95
Southampton has developed a reputation as a feeder club for Liverpool, with Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Peter Crouch among those who have played there. Although none are academy graduates, the southern youth ranks are not to be taken lightly! Tyler Dibling, who signed with Everton in the summer of 2025, was an important component of the Saints last season, while Jack Stephens has been a squad stalwart for years since emerging from the youth.
Former Southampton academy players include Fulham’s Harrison Reed, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings, and Nathan Tella, a winger who now plays for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. They may have all moved on and achieved more success elsewhere, particularly Tella, but Southampton will always keep a special place in their hearts.
8West Ham United – 105.94
West Ham United has a history of producing some of England’s most talented players, including Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard. Of course, the aforementioned triad are no longer enjoying their playing days, but Declan Rice, now at Arsenal, is. He honed his trade with the Hammers and is now regarded as one of the top midfielders in world football.
Oliver Scarles and George Earthy, who are 19 and 21 years old, are among the players who remain with the club and hope to become club legends. West Ham has always been a club that values its academy prospects, as seen by their status as the eighth-best academy.
7Liverpool – 111.63
To be honest, did you expect Liverpool, the defending English Premier League winners, to be so far down the list? Seventh is not a bad ranking by any stretch of the imagination, but the Reds should strive to be the best in their division in all aspects. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones are two Liverpool-born academy graduates that appeared for the Reds last season.
Raheem Sterling joined the club from Queens Park Rangers in 2010 and quickly established himself as one of its most valuable young players. The 30-year-old winger, a Premier League veteran, has joined Chelsea under Enzo Maresca. Their tally will have increased this year, as London-born Rio Ngumoha, 17, is now set to play regularly in senior matches.
6Tottenham Hotspur – 126.11
Although one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most prominent academy graduates, Sol Campbell, broke Spurs hearts when he joined Arsenal, the club has not always had such dismal luck with their young players. Two words: Harry Kane. The English striker is largely regarded as one of the best centre-forwards in Premier League history, and he currently leads the attack for Bayern Munich.
Leicester City’s Harry Winks and former Tottenham Hotspur player Oliver Skipp both featured in the Premier League last season. Noni Madueke, 23, has previously played for Spurs. Troy Parrott decided to leave England in the summer of 2024 and join AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. From 2017 to 2024, the young striker attended the club’s academy.
5Manchester City – 127.37
Since Sheikh Mansour took over Manchester City in September 2008, there has been a much greater emphasis on developing the crème de la crème of young talent – and there has been some noticeable improvement, as evidenced by Phil Foden’s meteoric rise from fresh-faced teenager to six-time Premier League winner. The Englishman is a prime illustration of the club’s never-ending supply of elite talent.
Kieran Trippier, who rose through the club’s ranks after the takeover, now works under Eddie Howe at Newcastle United; Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has also moved on in search of more game time, and Cole Palmer, widely regarded as one of the world’s best players right now, is Chelsea’s go-to man.
4Everton – 135.38
Everton, frequently overshadowed by Merseyside rivals Liverpool, have risen from eighth to fourth place, and their academy brilliance has been generally overlooked. They played an important role in Wayne Rooney’s growth. Anthony Gordon, who is now at Newcastle United and vying for a place in England’s starting lineup, can also thank Everton.
In the modern age, Roman Dixon and Harrison Armstrong earned their Premier League debuts for Everton under David Moyes in 2024/25. Everton, on the other hand, is known for developing players who move on to fresh pastures; the aforementioned Gordon is an excellent example. As is the situation with Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson, who spent his early football career at Goodison Park.
3Manchester United – 138.34
Manchester United is a football club with a rich history, and few can claim to be as vocal and proud of their academy as they are. According to Training Ground Guru, the Red Devils ‘ruled’ the first three editions of the Rankings, but this is no longer true. Kobbie Mainoo, who is an Old Trafford fan at heart, remains at the club, albeit his future is uncertain.
Carrington graduates have gone on to succeed elsewhere as well. Angel Gomes now makes his living in France’s top tier, while Scott McTominay has emerged as a strong Ballon d’Or contender following a one-season stint at Napoli. The brilliance of United’s academy levels will always stand the test of time.
2Arsenal – 157.2
Although some say there is no path to the first team at Arsenal, the emergence of 15-year-old attacking midfielder Max Dowman has proven them incorrect. Mikel Arteta has recently promoted Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, two of England’s top youthful talents.
Finally, there’s Bukayo Saka. Loved by everyone at Emirates Stadium, the Englishman has been willing to carry the Gunners on his back with his creative ability. Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, and other players who failed to make the grade in north London are still in London, playing for Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, respectively.
1Chelsea – 187.99
Chelsea has, unsurprisingly, preserved their position as England’s finest talent producer, thanks in large part to their well-oiled academy system, which may begin to deteriorate if they continue to spend heavily on foreign players. However, eighteen of their graduates played in the Premier League and other European divisions last season.
Blues captain Reece James, who has made just under 200 appearances for the west Londoners, is the most recent Cobham graduate; elsewhere, Conor Gallagher, who was the same age as James, transferred to Atletico Madrid for greater game time in the summer of 2024. Last season, he appeared 32 times in La Liga.
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