Arsenal F.C. Academy

Arsenal Academy
Full name	Arsenal Football Club Academy
Nickname(s)	The Gunners
Founded	1954
Ground	Arsenal FC Training Centre, Shenley; (Capacity: nil)
Chairman	Peter Hill-Wood
Head Coach	Steve Bould
League	FA Premier Academy League
2010–11	FAPAL Group A, 5th

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Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England. The club enter Under-18 and Under-16 teams in the League, but they operate the academy for boys from the age of nine upwards.

Some of the senior members of the U18 team also play for Arsenal Reserves, and the team are currently coached by former Arsenal defender Steve Bould, while the younger teams are coached by Roy Massey and Steve Gatting. Former Arsenal midfielder and Republic of Ireland international Liam Brady oversees the overall youth development setup at the club with his assistant David Court.

[edit] History

[edit] Arsenal Youth (1954–1998)

Arsenal have occasionally operated a youth team as far back as 1893–94, and there had been an established third team (known as Arsenal 'A') for young players from 1929 to 1969.

In 1954, Arsenal started their own formal youth team. They entered the South Eastern Counties League (re-named the South East Counties League the following season) and the associated South East Counties League Cup from 1954–55 to 1997–98 (excluding 1967–68 and 1968–69). Arsenal Youth also played in the London Minor FA Challenge Cup (from 1954–55 to 1955–56 and 1959–60 to 1966–67) and the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup (from 1955–56 to 1971–72 and 1974–75 to 1998–99). The club have played in the FA Youth Cup since 1954–55.

During this time, Arsenal were one of the most successful youth teams in the country, winning seven South East Counties League titles, six South East Counties League Cups (including three "doubles") and four FA Youth Cups.

[edit] Arsenal Academy (1998–present)

The youth team became founder members of the FA Premier Youth League in 1997–98. The league was initially a single division and Arsenal won the inaugural title. The following season this was renamed the Premier Academy League and split into Under-19 and Under-17 sections, with the new FA Academy system formally changing Arsenal's youth team to Academy status. Arsenal entered teams in both sections, winning the U17 title in 1999–00 and the U19 title in 2001–02 as well as two more FA Youth Cups.

Since 2004–05, the FA Premier Academy League has consisted of only a single section for Under-18s, although an Under-16 section is played with no league table being recorded. Arsenal U18s have won their division group (Group A) three times, in 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10. They went on to win the academy play-off semi-final and final in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to become FA Premier Academy League champions. In 2009 they completed their first double by also winning the 2008–09 FA Youth Cup, having beaten Liverpool 6–2 on aggregate in the final.

[edit] Current squad

[edit] U18 League

The following players are eligible for the U18 Academy League in the upcoming 2011–12 season.

--> Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Sean McDermott
		GK	Reice Charles-Cook
		DF	Ben Glasgow
		DF	Hector Bellerin
		DF	Martin Angha
		DF	Elton Monteiro (captain)
		DF	Zachari Fagan
		DF	Isaac Hayden
		DF	Samir Bihmoutine
		DF	James Campbell
		MF	Jordan Wynter

No.		Position	Player
		MF	Jeffrey Monakana
		MF	Josh Rees
		MF	Kyle Ebecilio
		MF	Jon Toral
		MF	Kristoffer Olsson
		MF	Alban Bunjaku
		MF	Serge Gnabry
		FW	Zak Ansah
		FW	Nigel Neita
		FW	Phillip Roberts
		FW	Anthony Jeffrey

[edit] Schoolboys

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Joshua Vickers
		GK	Ryan Huddart
		DF	Arinse Uade
		DF	Leander Siemann
		DF	Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill
		MF	Jack Jebb

No.		Position	Player
		MF	Alex Iwobi
		FW	Austin Lipman
		FW	Chuba Akpom
		FW	Jordan Brown
		FW	Alfred Mugabo

[edit] Honours

FA Premier Academy League

Winners (5): 1997–98 (U18), 1999–00 (U17), 2001–02 (U19), 2008–09 (U18), 2009–10 (U18)

FA Youth Cup

Winners (7): 1965–66, 1970–71, 1987–88, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2008–09

South East Counties League

Winners (4): 1955–56, 1964–65, 1971–72, 1990–91

South East Counties League Cup

Winners (6): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1979–80

Southern Junior Floodlit Cup

Winners (5): 1962–63, 1965–66, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1997–98

London Minor FA Cup

Winners (1): 1966–67

[edit] International academy graduates

This is a list of former Arsenal F.C. academy or Arsenal 'A' graduates who have gone on to represent their country at full international level since the Second World War.

As of 10 August 2011.