LCFC Academy Awarded Cat. One Status

...the prestigious ‘Category One’ status as part of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

The news is a significant step forward for the Club’s already highly-regarded Academy, as it continues its work to build a long-lasting legacy of developing the very best home-grown players for the Leicester City first team.

Led by Academy Director Jon Rudkin and supported by significant investment from the Club’s owners, King Power International, Academy staff have worked tirelessly over the last 15 months to ensure that strict criteria are met, in keeping with the EPPP’s Category One standard.

From the start of the 2012/13 season, the EPPP initiative has seen Premier League and Football League academies independently audited, on behalf of the PGB, and placed in to one of four categories, with Category One being the highest. The new system replaces the original two-tier model of Academies and Centres of Excellence.

Academies applying for categorisation have been sequentially audited and rated. Leicester City’s audit took place in February of this year, with the final recommendations and categorisation recently ratified by the PGB, comprised of the Premier League Chairman Anthony Fry and the Football League Chairman Greg Clarke.

The Leicester City Academy has been placed proudly among the country’s elite, as one of only six clubs outside the Premier League to receive the Category One seal of approval. Elements audited included the Club’s football and coaching philosophy, its facilities and personnel, and its approach to individual player development.

The Academy’s comprehensive player support programme came in for particular praise – a structure that delivers a sports science programme including medical support and mental training, alongside a detailed education programme delivered in partnership with local schools and educational establishments.

Leicester City Academy Director Jon Rudkin said: “This has been a project that both the Academy and wider Club has been strategically focusing on over the past 15 months, with the overall aim of attaining Category One status as part of the combined vision of the Club and its owners.

“It’s a very exciting development for the Club and the Academy. It will bring the players some excellent and tough challenges, which will be a significant benefit to them as part of their own development, as well as the long-term benefit of the Club.

“It has not only been the Academy staff that have dedicated themselves to attaining Category One status – this has been a Club-wide project involving the First Team Manager, senior football departments, ground-staff, media and marketing departments implementing the Club’s philosophy as part of its long-term future.”

Leicester City Vice Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “The achievement of Category One status is fantastic news for our Academy and a just reward for the remarkable efforts of Jon Rudkin and his dedicated team of staff. Congratulations to everyone involved.

“Leicester City has a proud tradition of developing outstanding home-grown talent and it has always been our intention to ensure that continues, both through investment and through the development of the Academy’s infrastructure.

“The number of home-grown players currently in our first team squad coupled with the success of our Under-15, Under-18 and Under-21 sides in the last two seasons suggests that such commitment can have a significant impact on the Club’s long-term future.”

The new EPPP format included the introduction of an Under-21 Development League games programme, aimed at bridging the gap between Academy and First Team. It is an environment City have so far thrived in, with the Club’s first Under-21 group finishing top of Development League 2 North, before going on to win the prestigious Hong Kong Soccer Sevens title in May.

The 2012/13 season also saw the Club’s Under-15 squad crowned Premier League national champions, a year after the Club’s Under-18s finished top of Premier Academy League Group B.

Famed for the development of international stars such England’s Gary Lineker and Emile Heskey and, more recently, Wales’ Andy King, the Leicester City Academy has continued in the same vein in recent seasons.

Ghana international Jeff Schlupp and England Under-21 international Liam Moore, both 2011 graduates, are among the latest to make the first team breakthrough, making over 40 appearances between them during the 2012/13 campaign.

Jon Rudkin added: “The development of players that can go on and represent Leicester City at first team level is central to the work of everyone at the Academy.

“While winning trophies at youth level is an excellent experience for young players, development opportunities are our primary focus. This development philosophy led to the integration of six schoolboys, three of them England internationals, into our Under-18 setup last season, and a number of second-year scholars having the opportunity to play a significant part in the Under-21 Development Group games.

“It’s a philosophy we believe strongly in and one that will have significant long-term benefits for the Football Club.”

Andrew Neville, Football Operations Director commented: "After the meeting with the PGB’s auditors on 20 June, attended by Jon, myself and our CEO Susan Whelan, to discuss the final recommendations from February's audit, it was evident just how highly our Academy had scored overall in the categorisation process. Of the clubs that attained Category One status, Leicester City was among those with the fewest entry conditions.

"Our stability as a Football Club and the clear implementation by each department within the Club of our football philosophy were seen as key factors in our category attainment and of huge benefit to our Academy, which was highly praised for its rich learning environment. 

"They felt our forward-thinking approach to the development of young players had put us well ahead of the game.”