Ipswich Town F.C. Under-23s and Academy


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Ipswich Town Football Club currently runs a Category Two Academy, with a five-year plan to improve to Category One, which is run by Bryan Klug.[1] The youth teams play their home games at the Ipswich Town Training Centre at Playford Road in Ipswich, Suffolk, while some home games are played at Portman Road.[2]

Ipswich Town Academy
Full nameIpswich Town Football Club Under-21s and Academy
Nickname(s)The Tractor Boys
GroundPlayford Road
Portman Road
Capacity1,000 (Playford Road)
30,014 (Portman Road)
OwnerGamechanger 20 Ltd.
ChairmanMike O'Leary
ManagerJohn McGreal (U21s)
Olly Lee (U18s)
LeagueProfessional Development League 2 (South Division)

Some of Ipswich's greatest ever players have come through the club's youth system since the 1960s, including Roger Osborne, Mick Mills, Kevin Beattie, Russell Osman, George Burley, John Wark, Terry Butcher and Jason Dozzell.[3] The academy was also very successful during the 1990s, producing a number of first-team players including Richard Wright, Titus Bramble, James Scowcroft and Kieron Dyer.[4] In more recent years, the academy has produced more young players going onto the main team including Connor Wickham, Jordan Rhodes, Luke Woolfenden, Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell, who like his father Jason Dozzell, scored on his debut at the age of 16.[5][6]

As of 9 September 2024[7]

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

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

As of 20 September 2024[8]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK   POL Alan Fleischer
— DF   ENG Jesse Ayoola
— DF   ENG George Chenery
— DF   ENG Leon Elliott
— DF   ENG Callum Frith
— DF   ENG Fraser Heard
— DF   LTU Jokūbas Mažionis
— DF   NIR Darragh McCann
— DF   ENG Finn Steele
— MF   ALB Revin Domi
— MF   ENG George Iorpenda
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF   ENG Emmanuel Okunowo
— MF   ENG Tom Taylor
— MF   ENG Luke Towler
— MF   ENG Steven Turner
— FW   IRL Afikunoluwa Adebayo
— FW   ENG Ashton Boswell
— FW   ENG Oli Davis
— FW   ENG James Mauge
— FW   NIR Rio Oudnie-Morgan
— FW   ENG Chuks Uzor-Greey

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

Notable academy players

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The following is a list of players who have played in the Ipswich Town youth system and gone on to make 3 or more senior appearances at Championship level or above or the top league of that country. Players who are currently playing for the club are highlighted in bold. Players who never made a senior appearance for the club are in italics.

Academy Player of the Year

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Champions: 1972–73, 1975–76, 2006–07 (East Division), 2007–08 (East Division)
Champions: 2001–02
Champions: 2018–19, 2021–22
Champions: 2000–01
Winners: 1972–73, 1974–75, 2004–05
  • Professional Development League Cup
Winners: 2021–22[31]
Winners: 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 2006–07, 2009–10
  1. ^ No Young Player of the Year award was given due to the Coronavirus outbreak resulting in the early curtailment of the 2019–20 season, and the cancellation of the Supporters' Club annual event.
  1. ^ "Management Team". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Ipswich Town 6–2 Bolton". Ipswich Town Official Website. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Our Academy - Ipswich Town FC Academy". Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. ^ Watson, Stuart (30 March 2015). "Ipswich Town academy director Bryan Klug on 'special' talent, Category One latest, competing with Norwich and being sacked by Roy Keane". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  5. ^ Pearce, Steve (4 May 2016). "Andre and Ben fly the flag for Town Academy in U17 European Championship squad". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. 16 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Ipswich Town U21 Squad". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Ipswich Town U18 Squad". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Snowdon Wins Award". TWTD. 29 April 2002. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  10. ^ "I Want to Stay - Pablo". TWTD. 28 April 2003. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Westy Player of the Year". twtd.co.uk (Those Were The Days). 2 May 2004. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Davis Wins Players' Award". twtd.co.uk (Those Were The Days). 3 May 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Casement Wins Youth Gong". TWTD. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Legwinski Players' Player". TWTD. 1 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Walters Wins Players' Player Award". TWTD. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Richard Wright Wins Supporters Player of the Year". TWTD. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  17. ^ "McAuley Player of the Year". TWTD. 2 May 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  18. ^ "Bullard Player of the Year". TWTD. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Cresswell Player of the Year". TWTD. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  20. ^ "Smith Named Player of the Year". TWTD. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  21. ^ "Berra Player of the Year". TWTD. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Murphy Players' Player of the Year". TWTD. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Bialkowski Wins Player of the Year". TWTD. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  24. ^ "Lawrence Wins Players' Player of the Year". TWTD. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  25. ^ Heath, Mark (2 May 2018). "Bialkowski a double winner at Town's end of season awards as Celina claims best goal". East Anglian Daily Times. Ipswich. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  26. ^ "Chambo Named Player Of The Year". Ipswich Town. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  27. ^ "No Player of the Year Award for 2019/20". TWTD.co.uk.
  28. ^ "Supporters club player of the year awards". Ipswich Town. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Agbaje Wins Award". TWTD. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  30. ^ "End of Season Awards". Ipswich Town. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  31. ^ "U18 Town 7 - 0 Coventry". Ipswich Town F.C. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.