Leicester City's Academy Stars Shine On & Off The Pitch

Youngsters from City’s Under-18s and Under-16s Men’s teams received their BTEC and GCSE results last month and have been praised for their excellent breadth of knowledge and eagerness to improve their own personal development following glowing academic scores.

Their success is not just a testament to individual achievement; they illuminate an unwavering commitment by the Club to player development, where education and personal growth are as vital as footballing ability.

Under the stewardship of Claire Plimmer and the Academy’s wider education department, including partners Loughborough College and Ratcliffe College, an educational programme has been developed by the Club that compliments the rigors of professional football training.

Recognising the profound role education plays in moulding the sportspeople of tomorrow, the Club adheres to the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), with its structured framework ensuring each player receives a well-rounded education aligned with their footballing pursuits. It is an acknowledgment that a player-first approach is key to producing not just skilled athletes, but also well-educated and adaptable individuals.

Leicester City Academy Manager, Ian Cawley, said: “The boys have achieved some fantastic results and we’re all extremely proud of them. Every single scholar achieved a Distinction in their apprenticeship qualification, while some of them got triple star Distinctions on the BTEC course and our GCSE students achieved significantly higher results than the national average. 

“It’s not easy being a student athlete, but with the support of the staff here and our education partners Loughborough College and Ratcliffe College, they’ve achieved the most outstanding results we’ve ever had. 

“They spend a lot of time here, and work six days a week dividing their time between football and education, and we’re immensely proud of the work they’ve put in and the commitment they’ve shown to all elements of life at Leicester City.

“There’s a dual-career pathway here and many of our young players might need to utilise their qualifications to study at university, to further their education overseas or go into the world of work at some point, so it’s really important that we give them those foundations and keep all of those pathways open for higher education.”

The Academy's commitment extends beyond the classroom and the pitch. The focus on player wellbeing is an integral part of its philosophy, with the innovative football programme not just about tactics and skills, it is designed to support players on their journey by providing a safety net for their mental health and emotional growth as they navigate the often-challenging path to professional football.

Through its player-centred focus and vision of being a leading-edge academy where everything is possible, the Academy is fully dedicated to providing a top-quality experience for its players, aged between eight and 21. Through its expert staff and committed players, it aims to develop elite players to the Club’s First Team in a high-quality and safe environment, while helping them to maximise their potential on and off the pitch.

As one of the best academies in the country, having been awarded Category One status by the Premier League since 2013, it provides a substantial education programme, with the Club recognising that academia plays an important role in player development.

Discussing his success, striker Chris Popov, said: “The support we’ve had from the coaches and tutors has been unbelievable, hence why our results have been so good. We work hard individually, but if it wasn’t for the help of the staff then we wouldn’t have achieved so much and be in this position now.

“For me personally, there’s been times where I haven’t been able to attend some sessions due to training with the Under-21s or being away on international duty, and I felt that I wouldn’t be able to catch-up on my work and get left behind, but I did extra sessions with the education staff and got some really good help and guidance so that I could achieve my results.”

Based at the Club’s state-of-the-art training facility in Seagrave, the Academy is committed to identifying talented young footballers and to providing quality coaching, combined with a relevant education package to produce players of integrity with the ability to play professional football at Premier League and EFL level.

The likes of Hamza Choudhury, Luke Thomas and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have all graduated from the Academy in recent years, with the trio amassing over 250 appearances for the Foxes to-date.  

This season, meanwhile, has seen the emergence of further talented young players into the First Team set-up, with Jakub Stolarczyk, Kasey McAteer and Wanya Marçal all making their senior debuts, with McAteer and Marçal both netting their first goals for the Club last month while Stolarzcyk has kept three clean sheets to-date.