Does Manchester City run academy trials?
City Football Academy, Etihad Campus · East Manchester · Checked 6 September 2026
No open trials, and City is the most explicit club in England about it: its safeguarding page says never pay anyone for a trial, the club covers every cost of a genuine one, and emails asking for a trial get no reply. The route in starts younger than anywhere. A Junior Academy takes children from Under-4 to Under-8, fed by development centres in Manchester, Yorkshire and Blackburn where City coaches report the most promising players back to the Etihad Campus. There is one free door for older boys: the Talented Player Programme for ages 11 to 14, with a public form.
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
Invitation after observation, often via a development centre or the Junior Academy. All trial costs paid by the club.
- 01Junior Academy, Under-4 to Under-8
City's pre-academy. Includes City Kickers for the youngest. Players are not registered until Under-9, the first age group the rules allow.
- 02Talented Player Programme, boys 11 to 14
Free sessions following the City methodology, open to boys aged 11 to 14 in the wider community. Parents fill in the club's form with the child's name, date of birth and city, and can upload a video. City coaches then make contact. The one public self-nomination route.
Official page ↗ - 03City Football Schools
Paid programmes at the City Football Academy and elsewhere. The club states that any selection into Junior Academy, City Select or academy teams from these follows FA scouting rules. It is coaching, not a trial.
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.
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Man City development centre
Most players are spotted at grassroots games. Promising Under-5 to Under-8 players go to one of City's development centres, two in Manchester, two in Yorkshire, one in Blackburn, before sessions at the Etihad Campus.
Official page ↗By age group
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire, including Blackburn
- West and South Yorkshire
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask for the scout's identity card. City says every scout carries one, renewed each season, and not all wear club kit.
- If anyone mentions money for a trial, insurance, transport or extra training, it is not City. Email safeatcity@mancity.com to check an approach.
- Ask whether it is a development centre, the Junior Academy, or registration. Only the last is a signing, and only from Under-9.
- Check the travel rule from home to the Etihad Campus. One hour at U9 to U11.
Man City girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Manchester City 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 ↗City's official Girls Academy page links to a form for future trials. Recruitment includes scouting, local club links and occasional trials. The centre has Under-10, Under-12 and Under-13 groups. Youth teams are Under-14 and Under-16. The Under-21 programme includes education at the training site. All girls' teams train and play at City Football Academy.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
What parents ask about Manchester City
How much does it cost to join the Manchester City academy?
A genuine City trial never costs anything. The club says it pays every cost of a real trial and tells parents never to pay anyone who offers one. City Football Schools are paid coaching courses, which is different from an academy trial.
How do I get my child a trial at Manchester City?
You cannot apply for an academy trial. City scouts watch grassroots football, and the club does not reply to emails asking for trials. The one exception is the Talented Player Programme for boys aged 11 to 14, which has a public form on the club's website.
What is the Manchester City Talented Player Programme?
Free sessions for boys aged 11 to 14 that follow the City coaching methodology, with a games programme. Parents submit their child's details through a form on mancity.com, with an optional video, and City coaches get in touch if they want to see the player.
What age does the Manchester City academy start?
City's Junior Academy takes children from Under-4 to Under-8, fed by development centres in Manchester, Yorkshire and Blackburn. Players can only be registered to the academy from Under-9.
Are paid trial days with Manchester City scouts genuine?
City says it regularly hears about paid trial days claiming its scouts will attend, and that none are genuine. If you are unsure about an approach, the club's safeguarding team can check it at safeatcity@mancity.com.
How do girls join the Manchester City academy?
City's official Girls Academy page links to a form to register interest in future trials. Recruitment also includes scouts and links with local clubs. The academy has Under-10, Under-12 and Under-13 centre groups, Under-14 and Under-16 youth teams, and an Under-21 programme. Registration does not guarantee a trial. Girls' information checked 5 October 2026.
- Manchester City, Scouts and Scouting ↗
- Manchester City, Talented Player Programme ↗
- The Athletic, Plotting a route through Man City's academy, Dec 2022 ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
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Updated 21 October 2026. Last verified 6 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.