Scouting EFL Category Three Academies 2024/2025: Four Talents To Watch (Will Wright, Zane Okoro, Ky-Mani Leliendal, Richard Llara)

EFL Category Three Academies

It’s estimated that Category 1 academies in England incur around £3.5m in annual operating costs. 

This is all in the hope of finding the next gem who can either become a first-team regular or go on to be sold for a substantial amount. 

Only one in every 200 academy players becomes a professional footballer, highlighting the difficult task of producing a player of the required standard. 

Away from the glitz and glamour of clubs with Premier League status, producing an elite player is even more difficult. 

Most clubs in the EFL League 1 and 2 are Category 3 academies, which are limited in recruiting players in the youth development phase (U12-U16) to those who live within a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the training ground. 

Category 1 academies have the ability to recruit players nationally from U14. 

Yet this hasn’t limited the impact of category 2 and 3 academies. 

35% of England’s squad for Euro 2024 came through at an academy that was ranked category 2 or lower. 

This begs the question: who could be the next shining star to rise from an English Football League academy into the Premier League?

Four players who currently play in category three academies will be assessed through this tactical analysis, which will be presented as a scout report. 

Well provide an analysis of their strengths and standout attributes to demonstrate their potential to break into the professional game.

Will Wright Scouting Report At Salford City

The remarkable rise of Salford City has been well-documented over the past 10 years.

Since their joint takeover between the members of the class of 92 (Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt) and Peter Lim in 2014, Salford have risen from Non-League to League 2. 

The owners not only set out to build a club that could aspire to the upper echelons of the EFL, but also to produce players through their own academy. 

The members of The Class of 92 are known for being products of the famous Manchester United academy.

Salford now look to build an academy that can help push the club to the next level. 

One player hoping to make the grade at the Greater Manchester club is centre-forward Will Wright. 

The 16-year-old has many of the characteristics to be a top-level centre-forward.

The first is his desire and ability to get into areas where he’s most likely to score. 

Here, Wright has made his way into the box as his teammate progresses with the ball on the left flank. 

After his teammate’s shot is saved and parried back into the area, Wright reacts fastest, putting away the rebound.