Does Leeds United run academy trials?
Thorp Arch Training Ground · Thorp Arch, near Wetherby · Checked 7 September 2026
Yes, more than most, but read the small print. The Leeds United Foundation, the club's charity, sells open trials at £20 a session for boys from Under-6 to Under-14 at venues around Leeds, and says they can lead to the academy or its foundation centres. The academy itself runs free Showcase Events for Under-5 to Under-12 within about an hour of Thorp Arch, plus Regional Showcases for Under-12s in May and the odd specialist event. The free ones are the club speaking; the £20 ones are the charity.
Got a trial or a scout’s invitation? How to prepare your child →Practise decisions before the trial: free Look First game →
How recruitment works
Publicly bookable Foundation trials (paid) and Academy showcase events (free), plus ordinary scouting from grassroots and school football.
- 01Leeds United Foundation open trials
Paid open trial days for boys Under-6 to Under-14, held at venues such as Leeds Grammar School and Dixons Chapeltown, several times through the year. Players cannot be registered at another professional academy. Booked online, £20 plus a booking fee.
Official page ↗ - 02Academy Showcase Events, U5 to U12
Free showcase sessions run directly by the Academy (not the Foundation) across Yorkshire, recent locations include Bradford, Barnsley and Huddersfield, for current U5 to U12 players living within about an hour of Thorp Arch, LS23 7BA.
Official page ↗ - 03Specialist and age-group Showcase Events
The academy also runs targeted showcases, for example an Under-14 goalkeeper showcase at Thorp Arch in February 2026, open to players within 90 minutes who are not registered elsewhere. Watch club news for age and position-specific events through the season.
Official page ↗
Got a trial invite?
What scouts watch, what to bring, what to ask. £19 ($25)
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What to bring to an academy trial
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Boots for the surface (grass = FG, firm ground; 3G or astro = AG, artificial grass), shin pads, a ball, a named water bottle and plain kit (no rival club shirts). Check the club’s trial email first.
Which ball size? See our size guide.
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- Leeds, Wetherby and West Yorkshire
- Bradford, Huddersfield and Barnsley
- Wider Yorkshire and the North East
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask which body invited you. The Foundation trial is a charity event with a fee. An Academy Showcase is free and run by academy staff. Only the second can end in a registration.
- Check the travel rule for the event. Most showcases ask for players within an hour of Thorp Arch, LS23 7BA, some within ninety minutes.
- Your child cannot attend if registered with another professional academy. Say so up front; it is checked.
- Dates appear on the club news site through the season, not in one annual window. A missed one is not a missed year.
What to check before you agree
- Leeds United, Foundation to hold open trials in August ↗
- Leeds United, Academy to host Showcase Event for U5-U8 players ↗
- Leeds United, Academy to host showcase event for U14 goalkeepers ↗
- Leeds United, Academy awarded Category One status, Jul 2020 ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
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Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.