Nottingham Forest are delighted to confirm that the club has secured a conditional licence to operate a Category 1 Academy for the 2021-22 season.
Category 1 is the highest classification awarded to an Academy within the English professional game. Clubs with Category 1 status include Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and many other leading clubs in the Premier League.
The club’s U23 and U18 teams will now enter the elite academy games programme for next season, including Premier League 2 and cup competitions.
Chairman Nicholas Randall, QC, said: “This is a very important development for the long-term future of the club.
“The academy is fundamental to the footballing strategy of the club and is a priority for the Board. To see the likes of Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates and Alex Mighten playing regularly in the first team demonstrates the success of our Academy. Category 1 status is the next step in developing more elite footballers.
“The club is extremely grateful to Mr Marinakis for his continued financial investments in the infrastructure of the club. It is the owner’s personal commitment to such strategic initiatives that has made this possible.
“This milestone is also a testament to the tireless work of Gary Brazil and the outstanding efforts of Chris McGuane, Andy Reid and many others.”
Gary Brazil, Director of Football Development, said: “I am thrilled that we have achieved Category 1 status for next season.
“The current and future investments in facilities by Mr Marinakis will take us to another level. It is a fantastic opportunity for the club and it will be really exciting for the staff and players to challenge themselves at the elite end of academy football.
“The benefits include playing better quality teams in the games programme and access to youth grant funding. It will also help us to keep providing elite talent for our first team and ensure we provide opportunities for players in and around Nottinghamshire to become professional footballers.
“We have established a strong recruitment staff and this will be another string to the bow of Chris Brass and his team to continue to attract and retain the very best talent.
“I would like to thank all the Academy staff, especially Chris McGuane, for their work in securing the licence. It has been an extremely rigorous process so far and has been a joint effort across the club from the owner, the Board and all the staff”
The Category 1 licence has been awarded following an assessment of the Academy by the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC). The PGAAC was established by the Premier League, EFL and The FA to provide independent quality assurance to club academies as part of the game’s drive to produce more and better homegrown players.
The licence has initially been granted on a one-year conditional basis with a five-day standards audit to follow in the forthcoming season.