Stoke City Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...

's youth teams and the club's former

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...

. The Under-23 team is effectively Stoke City's second-string side. They play in Premier League 2 Division 2. The team also competes in the Premier League Cup and

Staffordshire Senior Cup The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877–78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from S ...

. They play their home matches at the club's main ground, the

bet365 Stadium The Bet365 Stadium (stylised as ''bet365 Stadium'') is an All-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City F.C., Stoke City. The stad ...

, St George's Park,

Burton-on-Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2011, it had a population of 72,299. The d ...

as well as the club's Clayton Wood Training Ground. In previous seasons the team has played at Lyme Valley Stadium in

Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially kno ...

Moss Rose Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town F.C., Macclesfield Town, a clu ...

Nantwich Town Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed ''The Dabbers'', a reference to the town's tanning industry. They currently compete in and pla ...

's Weaver Stadium and

Harrison Park Harrison Park may refer to: * Harrison Park (Leek), a stadium in Leek, Staffordshire * Harrison Park (New Jersey), a former baseball ground in Harrison, New Jersey * Municipality of Harrison Park, a rural municipality in Manitoba * Harrison Park ...

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

History

Stoke fielded a second team for the first time in a league competition,

the Combination The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second ...

, in 1891–92, under the name of 'Stoke Swifts'. The Swifts also played in the

Midland League The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid. History Th ...

and the local North Staffordshire & District League, which they won on two occasions. The team joined the Birmingham & District League in 1900–01 and was renamed 'Stoke Reserves'. They temporarily had to return to local leagues in 1908 after the first team suffered financial difficulties and had to resign from the Football League, taking the reserves' place in the Birmingham & District League. They returned in 1911–12 and continued to play in it until they joined the newly founded

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...

, a specific reserve team only league. In 1925 after

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

was granted City status the second string became "Stoke City Reserves". They won the Central League title in 1927–28 and remained in the league until the 1980s when a Division Two was created. Stoke were relegated in 1984–85, gaining promotion in 1991–92, but suffered instant relegation in 1992–93, however promotion was achieved in 1993–94. The league was restructured in 1996 with Stoke now in the Central League Premier Division, dropping down to Division One in 1999–2000. They won Division One in 2002–03 and then won the Premier Division in 2003–04. Stoke remained in the Central League until 2008. Following the first team's promotion to the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

in 2008 the reserves joined the

Premier Reserve League The Premier Reserve League (officially known as The Barclays Premier Reserve League for sponsorship reasons) was the reserve team league for the top English football teams in the Premier League. The league was split into a northern and a southe ...

. In 2012 the Premier League implemented the

Elite Player Performance Plan The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is a youth development scheme initiated by the Premier League. The intention of the EPPP is to improve the quality and quantity of home-grown players produced by top English clubs. Measures introduced by th ...

and introduced the

Professional Development League The Professional Development League is a system of youth association football, football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the Premier League or by the Football League. It was introduced by the The Football Association, Footbal ...

, with reserve teams becoming under-21 teams. In The League was split into two in 2014–15, with Stoke playing in Division 2. In 2016 the league was re-branded Premier League 2 and the age limit increased to under-23. This was reverted back to under-21 from 2022–23.

Current squads

Under-21s

Out on loan

Under-18s

Honours

Leagues

The Central League The Central League is a football league for reserve teams, primarily from the English Football League. For sponsorship purposes, it was branded as the Final Third Development League until the 2015/16 season. The league was formed in 1911 and ...

** Champions: 1927–28, 2003–04 ** Runner-up: 1934–35 ** Division One (West) champions: 2002–03 ** Division Two champions: 1991–92 *North Staffordshire & District League ** Champions: 1895–96, 1898–99 ** Runner-up: 1896–97 *

The Combination The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second ...

** Runner-up: 1892–93, 1893–94 *

Midland Football League The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid. History Th ...

** Runner-up 1894–95 * Birmingham & District League ** Runner-up: 1903–04, 1904–05 * North Staffordshire Federation League ** Runner-up: 1908–09 *

Football League Youth Alliance The Football League Youth Alliance is a youth football competition in England, consisting of four regional divisions. It acts as League 2 of the U18 Professional Development League system. Current structure North West Conference * Accrington ...

** Division Three North champions: 1998–99

Cups

FA Youth Cup The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...

** Runners-up: 1983–84 *

Generation Adidas Cup The Generation Adidas Cup (previously known as the SUM U-17 Cup) is a competition run by Major League Soccer for all U-17 MLS academy teams. As part of the Homegrown Initiative, the Generation Adidas Cup focused on player development while provi ...

**Winner: 2013–14 *Altstatten International Tournament ** Runner-up: 2013–14 * Central League Cup ** Winner: 1996–97 ** Runner-up: 2000–01 *Midland Youth League Cup ** Winner: 1996–97 *North Staffordshire Federation League Cup ** Runner-up: 1908–09

Staff

* Source: ; Academy management: * Academy Director: Gareth Owen * Head of Academy Recruitment: Andrew Frost * Head of Academy Coaching: James Hunter * Head of Academy Sports Science & Athletic Development: Paul White * Head of Academy Education: Greg Briggs * Academy Medical Lead: Andy Foster * Head of Player Care & Academy Safeguarding: Stephanie Wakelin * Head of Academy Operations & Administration: Margaret Stringer ; Academy full-time coaching staff: * Lead Professional Development Phase Coach:

Richard Walker Richard Walker, Rick, Ricky, or Dick Walker may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Walker (baritone) (1897–1989), English singer and actor Law and politics * Richard Walker (MP) (1784–1855), British Member of Parliament for Bury, 1832 ...

* Professional Development Phase Coach:

Danny Pugh Daniel Adam Pugh (born 19 October 1982) is an English professional football coach and former player. A versatile player, he could play in midfield or at left-back. He began his career with Manchester United, and made a handful of first team ...

* Senior Professional Development Phase Coach: Kevin Russell * Senior Professional Development Phase Coach & Loans Manager:

David Hibbert David John Hibbert (born 28 January 1986) is an English former footballer who played as a striker; he is now working as a coach at Stoke City. Starting his professional career with Port Vale in 2004, the following year he was signed in controve ...

* Lead Youth Development Phase Coach (U15-U16): Darren Potter * Youth Development Phase Coach (U15):

Liam Lawrence Liam Lawrence (born 14 December 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a winger or central midfielder. Lawrence started his career at his local club Mansfield Town, after impressing at the Field Mill he signed for Sunderland ...

* Lead Youth Development Phase Coach (U13-U14): Andy Matthews * Lead Foundation Phase Coach (U10-U12): Theo Brierley * Lead Foundation Phase Coach (U7-U9): Connor Russo * Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach: Richard Taylor * Academy Goalkeeping Coach: Jack Shirley

Notable Academy graduates

A number players from the Stoke City Academy go on to have careers in professional football, whether at Stoke City or at other clubs. The following is a list of players who have played at a professional level since the Academy opened in 1998. Players who are listed in Bold have gained senior international caps. * Matthew Bullock *

Clive Clarke Clive Richard Luke Clarke (born 14 January 1980) is an Irish former footballer. He played primarily as a left back, but also as centre back, left midfielder or centre midfielder, notably for Stoke City and twice for the Ireland internationa ...

Kris Commons Kristian Arran Commons (born 30 August 1983) is an English-born Scottish professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Commons started his career at Stoke City and made his debut in 2000. After four years with the club, he rej ...

* Dean Crowe *

Carl Dickinson Carl Matthew Dickinson (born 31 March 1987) is an English football player and manager who currently plays for side Stratford Town. A defender, Dickinson started his career at Stoke City, and had loan spells at Icelandic club Víkingur and ...

* Tom Edwards * Dale Eve *

Ben Foster Ben Foster may refer to: *Ben Foster (actor) (born 1980), American actor *Ben Foster (footballer) (born 1983), English goalkeeper *Ben Foster (composer) (born 1977), British composer, orchestrator and conductor * Ben Foster (director) (born 1984), ...

Robert Garrett Robert S. Garrett (May 24, 1875 – April 25, 1961) was an American athlete, as well as investment banker and philanthropist in Baltimore, Maryland and financier of several important archeological excavations. Garrett was the first modern Ol ...

Marc Goodfellow Marc David Goodfellow (born 20 September 1981) is an English former footballer who played as a left-sided winger. He began his career with Stoke City in 2000, and played on Iceland with ÍBV the following year. He transferred to Bristol City ...

* Matthew Hazley *

Robert Heath Sir Robert Heath (20 May 1575 – 30 August 1649) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1625. Early life Heath was the son of Robert Heath, attorney, and Anne Posyer. He was educated at Tunbridge ...

Karl Henry Karl Levi Daniel Henry (born 26 November 1982) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Boldmere St. Michaels. Henry was a product of the Stoke City academy who went on to make over 120 appearances for the club, also spending ti ...

Richard Keogh Richard John Keogh (born 11 August 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ipswich Town and for the Republic of Ireland national team. His main positional role is at centre-back, though he has also played at right-back d ...

* Neil MacKenzie *

Louis Moult Louis Elliot Moult (born 14 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Motherwell, on loan from Burton Albion. Moult, a prolific goal scorer in Stoke City's academy and reserve side, appeared in a Premier League ...

* Lewis Neal * Curtis Nelson * James O'Connor * Gareth Owen * Jermaine Palmer *

Martin Paterson Martin Andrew Paterson (born 10 May 1987) is a former professional footballer and assistant head coach of club Barnsley. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, he played as a forward he began his career with Stoke City, making his senior debut in April 200 ...

* Jimmy Phillips *

Adam Rooney Adam Christopher David Rooney (born 21 April 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Brackley Town. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, was a re ...

* Ollie Shenton *

Ryan Shotton Ryan Colin Shotton (born 30 October 1988) is an English professional footballer and manager who plays as a defender. He is currently player/manager of Midland League club Hanley Town. Shotton progressed through the Stoke City Academy and sig ...

* Steven Taaffe * Ádám Vass * Nathaniel Wedderburn * Andy Wilkinson *

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

* Steve Woods * Ashley Woolliscroft

League performance

Reserves, U21s and U23s

* Source:

References

External links

Stoke Under-21s
at stokecityfc.com
Stoke Under-18s
at stokecityfc.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Stoke City F.C. Reserves And Academy Reserves and Academy Football academies in England