Does Sunderland run academy trials?
Academy of Light · Cleadon, South Tyneside · Checked 7 September 2026
No walk-up trials for the boys' academy itself: recruitment is scout-led, coordinated through the academy office and built on the club's soccer schools and grassroots links across the North East. The real open door is Foundation of Light, the club's charity, whose Player Development Centres run across Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham and feed talented players up towards the academy and the girls' Emerging Talent Centre. For girls, Sunderland and Gateshead's Regional Talent Club has historically run genuinely open trial nights before an invite-only second round, and the women's academy now operates as an FA Professional Game Academy (PGA) alongside Foundation of Light's pathway.
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
Boys: scouted, or a Foundation development centre invitation, then an academy assessment period. Girls: Foundation trial nights leading to invite-only sessions, then possible progression to the PGA.
- 01Scouted at grassroots and soccer schools
Academy scouts cover North East leagues and tournaments. A scout report, cross-checked by colleagues, leads to an invitation for an initial assessment, usually arranged through the player's current club.
- 02Direct approach to the academy
The academy accepts a short, professional email with the player's details, current club and a link to a highlights video. Not the preferred route and response is not guaranteed, but it is an official channel.
Official page ↗ - 03Girls: Emerging Talent Centre and Regional Talent Club pathway
Girls' football runs through Foundation of Light Wildcats, the Player Development Programme, the FA-funded Emerging Talent Centre, and on into Sunderland AFC Women's Professional Game Academy. Places are limited and offered by expression of interest.
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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Sunderland development centre
Invite-only weekly coaching for boys and girls aged 7 to 16 across multiple North East venues, with direct links to the Sunderland AFC Academy and the girls' Emerging Talent Centre. Entry follows Open Trials, school, evening, weekend or holiday programmes.
Official page ↗- Sunderland, South Tyneside and Gateshead
- County Durham
- Wider North East, with national recruitment from U16
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask whether the invitation is to a Foundation of Light Player Development Centre or the academy proper. The Foundation is the charity's coaching arm; only the academy registers players.
- Check the one-hour travel rule for U9 to U11 from your home to Cleadon, and 90 minutes for U12 to U16.
- For girls, watch for the annual expression-of-interest window for the Emerging Talent Centre and ask directly about the PGA pathway above U16.
- A polite, concise email to the academy with the player's CV and a short highlights clip is an accepted route in, but do not expect a reply.
Sunderland girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Sunderland 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 ↗Foundation of Light takes expressions of interest. Places are offered after assessment of a player's football. The centre runs for 30 weeks, with six matches and a festival. Players continue playing for their grassroots team. The Foundation describes Sunderland's Professional Game Academy as a programme for ages 16 to 21.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Foundation of Light, Player Development Centre (PDC) ↗
- Foundation of Light, Emerging Talent Centre ↗
- Foundation of Light, Season of success and growth for Female Football Pathway, Jul 2025 ↗
- Sunderland Echo, Sunderland academy boss opens up on recruitment plans, Apr 2026 ↗
- England Football, PGA licenses awarded to twenty clubs, Apr 2023 ↗
- 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 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.