The Academy Reality Check: What Should the Other 98% Do Next?

Football, Football Coaching | Barnet, Football Coaching Brent

October 8, 2026

Academy Release: What Should Young Footballers Do Next?

An academy release can create an opportunity that wasn’t available before. The player now has the chance to take more ownership of their development.

They can:

Identify weaknesses
Train intelligently
Play more
Experience different positions
Learn from different coaches
Develop resilience
Build confidence
Decide what football means to them

That is a much healthier approach than spending every weekend worrying about whether an academy scout is watching.

The New Pathway Doesn’t Have to Look Like the Old One

This is one of the biggest messages young footballers need to understand.

Your football pathway does not have to be: Grassroots → Academy → Professional Contract → Premier League That is one pathway.

It is not the only pathway. Another might be: Grassroots → Academy → Grassroots → Non-League → EFL

Or: Grassroots → Development Programme → Semi-Professional Football

Or: Grassroots → College/University Football → Senior Football Or perhaps:

Grassroots → Playing → Coaching → Football Career

Football is much bigger than the Premier League.

Success should not be defined exclusively by whether a teenager eventually walks onto a Premier League pitch.

What the “Other 98%” Should Do Next

If your child has recently left an academy, here is the simple version.

Don’t panic. Being released does not mean the football journey is finished.
Find a good grassroots environment. Look for coaching quality, playing opportunities and a positive development culture.
Keep playing. Competitive matches are essential for learning.
Identify the gaps. Understand which areas of the player’s game need attention.
Train specifically. Use individual football coaching and small-sided games to target those areas.
Measure development. Look for improvements in technical ability, decision-making, confidence, physical development and tactical understanding.
Stay patient. Player development is not linear.
Keep the ambition. The destination may change. The ambition does not have to.

The Academy Exit Is Not the End

The reality of academy football is extremely competitive.

The Premier League’s own academy information shows that only a proportion of academy players go on to make senior league appearances. Recent figures show at least one league appearance for approximately 16% of Category 1 academy players, 9% of Category 2 players and 5% of Category 3 players.

For players reaching 20 league appearances, the figures are lower again.These numbers tell us something important: Leaving an academy is normal. It is not necessarily evidence that a player has no talent. It does not mean they can not improve, and it certainly does not mean they should automatically stop playing football.

The Premier League also recognises the importance of preparing young people for life beyond professional football, including transition and aftercare for players leaving the academy system.

What Should an Academy Player Do After Being Released?

The first priority should not necessarily be finding another academy as quickly as possible.

The first priority should be finding the right football environment.

A young player who has just been released can easily fall into two traps:

Giving up because they believe the academy was their only opportunity.
Immediately chasing another elite environment without addressing the areas of their game that need improvement.

Neither approach is ideal. The next stage should be about development, playing time and rebuilding confidence.

What should young footballers do after academy release? — Pro Touch Football Academy

1. Get Back to Playing Regularly

It sounds obvious, but playing football matters. A player who has just left an academy needs meaningful minutes. Not just training. Not just trials. Not just individual drills. Games!!!

Competitive football teaches things that isolated training cannot completely reproduce, including:

Decision-making under pressure
Scanning
Positioning
Communication
Movement off the ball
Dealing with mistakes
Responding to physical pressure
Making decisions quickly
Understanding different tactical situations

This is one of the major advantages of a good grassroots football club. A player can return to regular football, compete against different opponents and start rebuilding their confidence. Development does not stop simply because a player is no longer in an academy.

2. Find a Grassroots Club That Actually Develops Players

Not every grassroots football club is the same.

For an academy-released player, this matters enormously.

Parents should ask:

Does this club develop players or simply select them?
Will my child get meaningful playing time?
Does the coach provide individual feedback?
Is there a clear development philosophy?
Are players encouraged to make decisions?
Does the environment build confidence?

A strong grassroots club can provide something an academy environment cannot always guarantee:

The opportunity to become an important player.

Instead of being one of many players competing for attention, a released player can potentially become a key player in a team.

They can take responsibility, make mistakes, learn from them and develop leadership.

That experience has enormous value.

3. Don’t Stop Individual Player Development

Joining a grassroots club should not mean abandoning individual development. In fact, this can be one of the most important periods for a young footballer. A player who has been released should try to understand why they were released.

Was it:

Technical ability?
Decision-making?
Physical development?
Confidence?
Tactical understanding?
Consistency?
Competition from another player?

The answer should influence the next development plan.

Why One-to-One Football Coaching Can Help

Team training develops the player within a collective environment. Individual football coaching can focus specifically on the player’s strengths and weaknesses.

For example, a winger might need to improve:

First touch at speed
1v1 ability
Change of direction
Crossing
Finishing
Decision-making in the final third

A midfielder might need to focus on:

Scanning before receiving
Body positioning
Receiving under pressure
Passing range
Tempo control
Playing forward

The objective is not to train endlessly. It is to train with purpose.

Pro Touch Football provides one-to-one football coaching in North West London, with sessions focused on individual player development, technical ability and confidence.

4. Use Small-Sided Football to Accelerate Development

Small-sided football can be extremely valuable for young player development.

England Football’s FutureFit programme has introduced changes to grassroots youth football designed to give young players more involvement, more touches of the ball and more opportunities to make decisions.

The principle is simple. Young players need opportunities to:

Scan
Receive the ball
Make decisions
Execute skills
React to situations
Make mistakes
Try again

In a 3v3, 4v4 or 5v5 environment, hiding is difficult.The player is constantly involved.

Scan → Receive → Decide → Execute → React.

That repetition can be extremely valuable for technical and cognitive development.

5. Keep the Door Open

This may be the most important piece of advice.

An academy release is not necessarily permanent.

Football pathways are not always linear.

A player might leave an academy at 13 and develop later.

A player might be released at 16 and eventually earn another opportunity elsewhere.

A player might move into non-league football and progress through the football pyramid.

Another player might discover that their real strength is coaching, analysis, strength and conditioning or another part of the football industry.

The goal should therefore be:

Keep developing. Keep playing. Keep learning.

The Grassroots Club Has a Bigger Role Than It Thinks

Grassroots clubs are often described as the starting point of the football pathway, but they can also be the second-chance pathway. A player who has been released from an academy does not necessarily need another academy immediately.

They may need a club that says: “We know where you’ve come from. Now let’s work out where you’re going.”

That requires a different mindset from coaches. The job is not simply to win the weekend’s match. The job is to develop players.

England Football’s grassroots strategy places significant emphasis on improving participation, developing coaches and supporting community football clubs.

That makes grassroots football much more than a consolation prize. It is a major part of the English football development ecosystem.

What Should Grassroots Clubs Do Differently?

Give Players a Development Plan

Every player should understand:

What they do well
What they need to improve
What their next targets are
How progress will be measured

A simple individual development plan can make a major difference.

Give Players Responsibility

Don’t make every decision for them. Ask questions.

Let them solve problems.

Encourage them to communicate.

Allow them to make mistakes.

A footballer needs to learn how to play, not simply how to follow instructions.

Prioritise Development Over Labels

“Academy player.”

“Released player.”

“Grassroots player.”

“Elite player.”

These labels can become distractions. The more important question is:

What can this player become?

Create a Positive Environment

A player who has just been released may already be questioning themselves. The last thing they need is another environment where they feel constantly judged.

High standards are important. So is confidence. The best coaches can provide both.

Parents Have a Role Too

For parents, academy release can be emotionally difficult. Years of investment can suddenly feel as though they have disappeared overnight, but this is where parents need to resist the urge to panic.

Don’t immediately ask: “Which academy can we trial for next?”

Instead ask: “What does my child need right now?”

Maybe they need confidence, maybe they need more playing time..maybe they need technical work.

Maybe they need a better coaching environment,maybe they simply need to enjoy football again.

The Premier League also encourages young players to maintain a broader identity outside football, including education, other interests and social or sporting activities.

That is not lowering ambition. It is protecting the player.

Grassroots Football Could Be the Missing Link

The football industry spends enormous energy identifying the next academy player.

Perhaps we should spend just as much energy developing the players who have already been released.

These players are not finished products.

They are young footballers at different stages of development.

The right grassroots club can give them:

Minutes
Responsibility
Coaching
Confidence
Competition
Community

And, perhaps most importantly, another opportunity.

The next generation does not just need more pathways into academies.

They need better pathways after academies.

Final Thought: Don’t Let a Release Write the Ending

If you’ve been released from an academy, you have every right to be disappointed.

Take the time to process it. Then get back to work. Find the right club. Find the right coaches.

Play – Train – Learn – Improve.

And remember that development is not a straight line. Some players mature early, some mature late, some need a different environment, some need confidence & some need another two or three years.

The academy may have closed one door. That does not mean football has closed the door.

For the “other 98%”, the next chapter might actually be where the most important part of their football development begins.

Want to Develop Your Game Beyond the Academy?

At Pro Touch Football, we believe every young footballer deserves a development pathway built around the individual , not simply a label.

We provide 1-to-1 football coaching, youth football development sessions and training programmes for young players aged 6–16+ across North West London.

Our aim is to help players develop:

Technical ability
Confidence
Decision-making
Game intelligence
Ball mastery
Individual skills

Whether your child is playing grassroots football, has recently left an academy or simply wants to become a better footballer, the objective is the same:

Develop the player. Build the confidence. Keep the pathway open.

Explore Pro Touch Football’s youth football development programmes:

Learn more about one-to-one football coaching in North West London:

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a young footballer do after being released from an academy?

The most important priorities are continuing to play regularly, finding a positive grassroots football environment, identifying areas for improvement and continuing individual player development. Academy release does not have to mean the end of a football journey.

Can a player return to academy football after being released?

Yes. Football development is not always linear. Players can develop at different rates and may receive further opportunities after improving technically, tactically, physically or mentally in another environment.

Is grassroots football good for academy-released players?

A strong grassroots football club can provide valuable playing time, responsibility, competition and confidence. The quality of coaching and the development culture of the club are particularly important.

Can one-to-one football coaching help an academy-released player?

Yes. Individual coaching can complement team football by targeting specific technical, tactical and decision-making areas that a player needs to improve.

Should parents immediately look for another academy after release?

Not necessarily. The better approach is to understand what the player needs next. That could be more playing time, technical development, confidence, a different coaching environment or simply an opportunity to enjoy football again.

Does being released from an academy mean a player has failed?

No. Academy football is highly competitive and player development is not linear. An academy release is the end of one pathway, not necessarily the end of a player’s football development.