Does Liverpool run academy trials?
AXA Training Centre and Academy, Kirkby · Kirkby, Merseyside · Checked 6 September 2026
No open trials for the boys' academy. Liverpool's model is built on getting the best seven and eight year olds in the North West before anyone else: a head of pre-academy recruitment, casual scouts assigned to Under-5 to Under-9 grassroots leagues, and an academy director who has said the pre-academy is about educating parents on why Liverpool is the right choice. Below that, the LFC Foundation runs a paid Player Development Programme from age three, with a talent identification sift before a place is offered. For girls there is a free Emerging Talent Centre with public expressions of interest and a strict 60-minute travel rule.
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
Observation at pre-academy age, then invitation to Kirkby for a trial period with the age group.
- 01Scouted at Under-5 to Under-9 grassroots football
The academy employs casual pre-academy scouts to attend grassroots clubs, leagues and tournaments across the North West, report on players and support the trial process. Under-9 is the first registration.
Official page ↗ - 02LFC Foundation Player Development Programme
Paid blocks of ten weeks, £40 to £100 depending on age, from ages 3 to 4 up through U9, U11 and U13 bands, plus goalkeeper groups. Entry by expression of interest, then a talent identification sift, then a booking link for those accepted.
Official page ↗ - 03Girls: Emerging Talent Centre
Three blocks of ten weeks a season, feeding the club-funded girls' academy age groups. Expressions of interest open publicly, with talent ID nights at the end of each block. Players must live within 60 minutes of postcode L9 6AG.
Official page ↗ - 04Trial period at Kirkby
Invited players train with the age group before a registration decision. The club has said it looks for long-term potential, movement and technique, not just three years of schools football.
Got a trial invite?
What scouts watch, what to bring, what to ask. £19 ($25)
Get the packClub section delivered within 48 hours of purchase. Checkout is in US dollars.
What to bring to an academy trial
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
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.
We have not tested these products. Check size, price and delivery on Amazon before you buy.
- Merseyside
- Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester
- North Wales borders
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask whether it is the Foundation's Player Development Programme or the academy. The Foundation runs a talent ID sift, but it is a paid coaching programme.
- Ask how long the trial is and who decides. The academy director has said scouting decisions are about long-term potential, so ask what they saw.
- Check the one-hour rule to Kirkby at U9 to U11. Liverpool has said Merseyside recruitment is done almost entirely at that age.
- For girls, use the postcode L9 6AG and check the 60 minutes before applying. The club will not invite players outside it.
Liverpool girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Liverpool is listed in the FA's Professional Game Academy directory. Girls' information checked 5 October 2026.
Use the FA's Professional Game Academy directory to contact this club. Ask which age groups it currently recruits and whether it is accepting trial enquiries. A directory listing does not mean trials are open.
Official page ↗The Foundation page links to expressions of interest for Block 1 of 2026/27. The programme has three ten-week blocks. Players continue grassroots football and receive feedback after each block. Talent identification nights take place at the end of each block. Players must live within 60 minutes of L9 6AG. Ask whether the published form is still accepting players for the next assessment.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Liverpool FC, Casual Pre-Academy and Grassroots Scout job description, Jun 2025 ↗
- LFC Foundation, Player Development Programme ↗
- LFC Foundation, Emerging Talent Centre ↗
- Liverpool Echo, How Liverpool's Academy is set up, Feb 2019 ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
Compare every club: football trials UK 2026, by club, age and region.
Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 6 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.