Steven Gerrard Academy

Elite Football

Aiming to play professional or semi-professional football?

Our track record of securing trials for our players at professional clubs speaks for itself. With our elite sessions and games against pro academies, you’ll have the best chance possible to reach your footballing potential.

What sets us apart:

A system that secures trials and opportunities for players at the required level.
Showcase games to impress our scouting network.
Elite training sessions with players at the same level.
Opportunities to play at Category A academies.
A personalised player development programme for those who may have left the academy system.

How we develop elite talent

For over fourteen years, we have worked with players to place them into the football pyramid for the first time, or helped them re-enter professional football.

As an elite player, you will be coached by UEFA A Licensed coaches alongside our Director of Football in sessions designed for you to reach your highest level.

Your timetable will be split across football sessions and education to ensure you have a leading qualification to support you if football doesn’t become your full-time career.

Expect to be training multiple times per week in sessions that will fast track your performance, alongside games in leagues and cups that ensure a high level of opposition.

Compete at the Highest Level

Elite players at Steven Gerrard Academy have the opportunity to play in the FA Youth Cup, alongside competing in National Cups and The National Football Youth League.

The NFYL is recognised as the highest level of football outside of the professional academy structure. We’re proud to have won the league multiple times alongside winning the National Cup on numerous occasions with players that have pushed on to reach teams within the EFL.

Access to international tournaments.

Each year, you’ll have the opportunity to travel to countries around the world and compete in tournaments against elite-level opposition.
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Steven Gerrard Academy are one of the only teams to travel to the Dallas Cup from the U.K. who aren’t a professional club. Join the likes of Real Madrid, Fulham, and Arsenal as we compete in the most prestigious youth football tournament in the world.

The MI Cup in Spain offers a shorter-form tournament which has an incredible list of alumni such as Messi, Rodri, Foden, and hundreds of other players competing in the worlds top leagues.

You can expect to stay in team hotels with professional academies and compete on the pitch with teams from around the world in front of a global scouting network.

UEFA A licensed coaches

Michael Wilde

UEFA A licensed coach.
Expert in developing young players.
Welsh Premier League Legend.
6 times Welsh Cup winner and competed in the Champions League.

Christian Clarkson

UEFA A licensed coach.
Over 20 years experience at all levels of the game.
⁠Developed thousands of players and coaches into full time careers within football/sport.
Coached in a number of countries including Finland, Norway, Bahrain & Spain.

Graduates

Paul Mullin - Wrexham A.F.C

Paul was in the first SGA cohort in 2012. Having been released from LFC Academy he considered leaving football.

Paul engaged in our very first cohort and gained his qualifications while his football exploits alerted Huddersfield Town who signed him on a professional contract.

Paul then had moves to Tranmere Rovers and Cambridge United where he was the League One top goalscorer.

In 2020 Paul signed for Wrexham as the lead player for new Hollywood owners; Ryan McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds and featured heavily in the club's documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham.’

Jack Hazelhurst - Burton Albion F.C

Jack joined Steven Gerrard Academy having been released from a number of professional clubs academies.

Jack was determined to make it as a professional player and after winning the Dallas Cup 2017 and gaining his Level 3 qualification he was signed locally as a semi-professional for City of Liverpool FC.

His performances earned the nickname as ‘Messi’ and he then signed and starred for Chorely FC in the National League North which earned a move for Jack to League One’s Burton Albion.

David Abimbola - Bolton Wanderers F.C

David joined the academy after being released from a professional academy at the age of 15. Through training sessions and showcase matches, David continued to develop and his raw talent was becoming apparent to everyone who watched him play.

Through the opportunities offered to our players, our Director of Football saw how much of an impact his strength and power could have in the USA at the Dallas Cup.

His talent at the Dallas Cup immediately caught the attention of a scout for League One side Bolton, and on his return to the U.K. was invited for a trial.

After a successful trial period David was oppored a scholarship with Bolton and has gone from strength-to-strength and was selected for the U21’s squad multiple times at the age of only 17.

Join the team.

Speak to our Director of Football Todd Blayney