Our Under 18 squad has somewhat of a storied history, over the last few decades. Among England’s elite, the Leeds United Academy has always been well-regarded and in 2020, after much speculation, we achieved Category One Academy Status, which is the top tier accreditation.
Based at the Thorp Arch training ground in Leeds, over the last few decades or so, our academy has been responsible for unearthing a number of gems who have gone on to play achieve significant success at the highest level; perhaps, most notably, James Milner who won the multiple trophies (including the Premier League), with Manchester City and both the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool.
In fact, I think he is probably the most decorated player to come from our academy, ever. He also seems to have had one of the best career trajectories, turning out for some big clubs, including Newcastle United and Aston Villa, prior to his move to Manchester. Even at the age of 39, he is still playing in the Premier League with a decent Brighton side; his longevity speaking volumes to his discipline.
Others who have come through haven’t quite hit those heights, though Fabian Delph (who for me, was a potentially generational player, who was unlucky), also followed in Milner’s footsteps, turning out for Aston Villa, before a move to Manchester City, where he won silverware in a star-studded side, often being deployed at left-back instead of his favoured central midfield berth.
The likes’ of Aaron Lennon (Tottenham and Everton), Lewis Cooke (Bournemouth), Charlie Taylor (Burnley and West Bromwich Albion) and even goalkeeper Scott Carson, who won everything there is to win in the domestic game (albeit as a third goalkeeper, latterly at Manchester City and Liverpool). Obviously, Archie Gray is another recent, high-profile departure, following his stunning £35 million move to Tottenham. Indeed, Lennon also became a part of the Under 18 coaching setup in September 2025.
Of course, Gray’s younger brother, Harry Gray is a graduate of the Under 18 side; a prodigious talent who is highly thought of.
Leeds United 2025 Under 18 Squad
Since 2020, the talent in our academy has certainly gone up a notch and I think this can be reflected in our 2025/26 Under 18 squad. Below, you will find the main protagonists that appear to turn out for us each week.
Oliver Wood: Goalkeeper
Being part of the scholar cohort, Wood was retained as an option on a match day and was listed in scholar sign-up announcements. For his age, his agility is cat-like, while he also shows great maturity with the ball at his feet.
Luke Matykiewicz: Centre Back
Somewhat of a regular for the team in defensive roles, Matykiewicz has proven to be an intelligent reader of the game, in addition to being strong in one-on-one situations for his age and very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
Joshua Hamilton: Centre Back/Right Back
A match day regular, Hamilton has proven his versatility, able to turn out both in the centre of defence and at right-back.
Callum Mills: Left Back/Wing Back
Listed in a scholarship intake for 2025, Mills has featured in a number of youth match reports. He has demonstrated skill at providing natural width down the left and crosses the ball with growing maturity in addition to maintaining good defensive positioning.
Jacob Howard: Centre Back/Defensive Midfielder
Signed as part of the 2025 defensive scholarship group, Howard shows adept versatility, able to play as a centre back, while being comfortable stepping into defensive midfield, such is his skill with the ball at his feet. Perhaps his most stand out trait is the amount of composure he shows when he is pressed.
Carrick Njinko: Central Midfield
A very adept central midfielder with an abundance of energy that makes him perfect for the ‘box-to-box’ role, Njinko also possesses great tackling ability in addition to an effective passing range and high work rate.
Isaac Bridge: Midfield/Attacking Midfield
Blessed with an abundance of creativity and craft, Bridge is a demon with the ball at his feet, has an eye for goal and demonstrates superior intelligence with his ability to effortlessly drag defenders out of position to create space for teammates. Bridge is definitely one to watch.
Aiden Thompson: Wide Forward/Winger
His electric pace makes him a considerable threat on the counter-attack, while he also supports his full-back well. Thompson is direct and loves to take on opponents, with his fast feet able to draw fouls effectively.
Sam Morris: Striker
Had a good start to the 2025 season, finding the net on numerous occasions, Morris demonstrates great mobility and loves to get in behind opposition defences, while he also has almost intuitive finishing ability at Under 18 level.
Louie Philpott: Midfield/Wide
A technically good footballer, who is tidy in possession, Philpott has proven to be effective at linking play between midfield and attack and due to his command and understanding of the game, could be well on his way to being fast-tracked to the next level. Keep an eye out for this one.
Playing Style And Focus
Leeds United’s academy appears to place a lot of its emphasis on coaching a philosophy based around high work-rate, aggressive pressing and a technical approach to possession of the ball. While I do wonder how much of an effect that Marcelo Bielsa had on this while he was here, it is encouraging to see that players are learning in this way from an early age.
Coaches also focus on individual training and development as well, creating tailored strength and conditioning plans and academic education, which I think only helps to make them more well-rounded players over time.
