A total of 16 Premier League academy sides will compete alongside the 48 clubs from League One and League Two this season and we’ve been handed three trips to the west and south west.
Cardiff City, who haven’t been in the third tier of the Football League for 21 years, last played in the competition in 2003, reaching the southern section quarter-finals before going out to Bournemouth.
Another opponent coming from League One is Exeter City, who were knocked out in the round of 32 in 2024/25 by eventual finalists Birmingham City.
The last side in our group is League Two’s Newport County, who finished seven points above the relegation zone last season and were knocked out in the group stages of the Vertu Trophy.
Best academy goals from 2024
Also known as the Football League Trophy, the competition began in 1981 and has mainly been an opportunity for clubs in the third and fourth tiers to have a chance of booking their trips to Wembley. Academy teams were introduced in 2016, with no under-21 side reaching the final to date.
Our first taste of the competition came in 2018/19, and we have made the knockout stages. Our best run came in 2021/22 when we got to the quarter-finals. Last year, we were eliminated in the group stages, finishing third behind Colchester United and Leyton Orient.
Academy teams must start at least six players who are aged 21 and under as of 30 June 2024, and only two players over the age of 21 to have made 40 or more appearances in a first-team fixture. All their matches are also played away from home, handing valuable experience to Mehmet Ali’s players as they go up against established senior pros.
After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, which are held over single legs all the way through to the final.
