Academy Manager Jimmy Dack and Head of Coaching Glen Nichols have welcomed a number of new players to the academy squads this summer as we prepare for a season which will see U’s compete not only in the EFL Youth Alliance but also the South Division of the National League Under-19 Alliance, a competition in which we last played in the 2020-21 season and which includes clubs such as Aldershot and Woking. EFL Youth Alliance games are played largely on Saturday mornings and National League games mainly on Wednesdays, giving supporters a chance to watch the players that we hope will be the future of the club and follow Jack Taylor and Junior Eccleston in signing professional contracts. It is expected that home games will be played at either the David Weir Centre or Cheam Sports Club.

The new Under-19 squad will fulfil the National League games and the players will combine education and a full time football programme very similar to that of our current scholars, while our second year scholars will continue to play the EFL Youth Alliance games. We will then have two direct feeder teams made up of players who are students within our newly formed Post-16 Further Education Programme, who will play in a feeder division of the National League Under 19 Alliance and the SCL Development League.

We are delighted to welcome the following players to our Under 19 squad, who were identified during the Academy Showcase event recently at Gander Green Lane.

  • Josh Robson – a goalkeeper signed from Whitstable who was on a youth development contract with the 2025 FA Vase winners and made a good impression in his first team appearances.
  • Charlie Emery – a right sided defender who captained the Luton Town team that finished top of the EFL Youth Alliance South last season.
  • Luke Ashburn – left back who has developed in the academy systems at Charlton Athletic and Millwall.
  • Tito Salaam – a 6’5” centre back developed by the Mass Elite Academy and played at first team level for Crawley Down last season.
  • Noah Muwana – another tall (6’4”) centre back who hails from Mitcham but was on a two year scholarship with Championship club Middlesbrough prior to joining us.
  • Jayden Keteku – a central midfielder who has signed at the end of his two year scholarship with Championship side Portsmouth.
  • Mehmet Halim – a forward signed from West Ham United at the end of his two-year scholarship

We welcome them all to Sutton United and look forward to following their progress.

We’re also delighted to say that Liam Moore, Vinnie Tume and George Vorster, who all enjoyed fine seasons last season as second year scholars, will be joining the same Under-19s programme and so will remain at the club.

Furthermore, we offer our best wishes for the future to Lenny Jones, Khyan Edwards and Joden Trickett who have left the club at the end of their two-year scholarships.