Stoke City U21

Long before the Elite Player Performance Plan reshaped English academy football, Stoke City already had a line fed into the first team by a reserve side of its own: one that traces back to 1891, when it played as Stoke Swifts, and was renamed Stoke City Reserves in 1925. The current Under-21 setup was formalised only in 2012, under that plan.

The Young Potters train at Clayton Wood and sometimes play at Moss Rose or Weaver Stadium, but a big occasion still means the bet365 Stadium and its 30,089 seats. Nathan Collins came through the academy before Burnley paid £12m for him in 2021.

The Generation Adidas Cup, won in 2013–14 after Stoke beat Real Salt Lake on penalties, sits alongside older honours such as the Central League Cup and the Midland Youth League Cup, both from 1996–97.