Girls’ academy trials and training centres
Find girls’ academy and training centre information for every club in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and WSL 2 for 2026/27. This guide explains the programmes and links to official recruitment information.
Club information checked 5 October 2026. A past trial notice does not mean applications are open.
What the programmes offer
- Local footballGrassroots club or school team
Keep playing with a local team while you explore extra training. An Emerging Talent Centre can run alongside grassroots, school or representative football.
- Check local agesEmerging Talent Centre
An Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) provides extra training. The Football Association (FA) lists 70 centres and says they are free to attend. Centres must provide at least one 90-minute session a week. Contact a centre for its age groups and assessment dates.
- 14 to 20Professional Game Academy
A Professional Game Academy (PGA) is a club programme for players aged 14 to 20, covering Under-15 to Under-21 age groups. The FA says it supports football, education and player welfare. Each club can explain which teams it runs and how it recruits.
Sources: FA Emerging Talent Centre guide and FA Professional Game Academy guide. Checked 5 October 2026. Club development programmes can have different ages and costs. Ask what a place includes.
How to ask about a place
Use the club page or the FA directory below. Ask about your child’s age group, assessment dates, travel, costs and school commitments. An expression of interest is a request to be considered. Wait for the club to confirm an invitation.
Discover My Talent is the FA’s referral programme for girls who may be considered for England’s player pathway. Family and friends cannot refer a player. A coach, teacher, volunteer or match official can. For 2026/27, players living in England must be born between 2011 and 2013 and be eligible to represent England. The FA says the next referral window will be confirmed later. Check the current referral rules. Checked 5 October 2026.
Girls’ programmes by club
All 26 clubs are covered below. Academy categories come from the current FA directory. Burnley, Watford and Wolves have verified centre information here; this does not confirm a PGA licence.
WSL and WSL 2 membership: official 2026/27 fixtures announcement. Academy status: FA academy directory. Centre providers: FA centre directory. Checked 5 October 2026.
WSL clubs
| Club | Programme | Recruitment information | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists Arsenal Women in its Emerging Talent Centre directory. Use awfctalentid@arsenal.co.uk to ask about age groups and assessment opportunities. A current open trial date was not confirmed in the sources checked. | Read official information ↗ |
| Aston Villa | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Birmingham City | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The club's August 2025 notice describes two free centres for ages 8 to 12. Players continue with their grassroots clubs. This notice is for 2025/26. It does not confirm an open 2026/27 trial window. Use the FA centre directory to ask about this season's assessments. | Read official information ↗ |
| Charlton Athletic | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Chelsea | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | Chelsea says women's academy trial information is published only on its official website. It says it never requests payment or bank details for these trials. Check the club's notice before responding to an invitation. | Read official information ↗ |
| Crystal Palace | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | Palace invited applications from Under-12 to Under-19 players for sessions on 11 to 14 May 2026. Applications closed on 8 May. Only shortlisted players were invited. Written permission from the player's current club was required. These dates have passed. Ask the academy about future assessments through the FA directory. | Read official information ↗ |
| Everton | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | Everton is listed in the FA's Professional Game Academy directory. Use the academy contact in the FA directory to ask about girls' recruitment. A current open trial date was not confirmed in the sources checked. | Read official information ↗ |
| Liverpool | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | 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. | Read official information ↗ |
| London City Lionesses | Girls’ Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The academy has Under-16 and Under-21 teams, plus Under-12, Under-13 and Under-14 squads. It trains in Ditton, Kent. Its academy page links to expressions of interest for players from Under-9 upwards for 2026/27. The club reviews applications. An invitation is not guaranteed. Ask whether the published forms are still accepting players. | Read official information ↗ |
| Manchester City | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | 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. | Read official information ↗ |
| Manchester United | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The Foundation's Girls Academy page has a registration-of-interest link for 2026/27 trials. It manages Under-10 and Under-11 teams, Under-12 to Under-14 teams, and the Emerging Talent Centre for Under-9, Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15. Centre players keep their grassroots club. The Professional Game Academy has Under-16 and Under-21 teams. Ask which phase your child is being considered for. | Read official information ↗ |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| West Ham United | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | The Foundation offers a four-tier pathway for girls aged 5 to 18 in London and Essex. Its women's youth teams include Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 groups, with a route towards the Under-21 academy. Parents and players register through the Foundation booking page. Ask which programme the booking covers and what it costs. | Read official information ↗ |
WSL 2 clubs
| Club | Programme | Recruitment information | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol City | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Burnley | Girls' Emerging Talent Centre | Burnley FC in the Community runs a centre for girls aged 9 to 16 in Burnley and the surrounding area. Selected players train for 90 minutes each Thursday for 30 weeks. They can keep playing for their grassroots club or school. The official page links to trial registration. Confirm the next date and age group before applying. | Read official information ↗ |
| Durham Women | Girls’ Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists Durham in both its academy and Emerging Talent Centre directories. Its 2026/27 notice offered open trials for Under-9, Under-10 and Under-12 on 3 June, and Under-14 on 4 June. These dates have passed. The club said it would not hold Under-16 trials that season. | Read official information ↗ |
| Ipswich Town | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | The Foundation's 2026/27 notice listed trials for its Advanced Training Centre and Elite Player Development Centres on 13 August at St Joseph's College. The girls' groups were Under-8 to Under-9 and Under-10 to Under-11. That date has passed. These are Foundation programmes. Ask separately about academy recruitment. | Read official information ↗ |
| Leicester City | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Newcastle United | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Nottingham Forest | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Sheffield United | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 1 | Sheffield United is listed in the FA's Professional Game Academy directory. Use the academy contact in the FA directory to ask about girls' age groups and recruitment. A current open trial date was not confirmed in the sources checked. | Read official information ↗ |
| Southampton | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football. | Read official information ↗ |
| Sunderland | Girls' Professional Game Academy, Category 2 | 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. | Read official information ↗ |
| Watford | Girls' Emerging Talent Centre | The Trust runs girls' Player Development Centres in St Albans and Kings Langley. Its Emerging Talent Centre is for Under-9 to Under-13, with exceptional Under-8 players also considered. Players must live within an hour of a centre. Sessions run on Fridays, 5.30pm to 7pm, for 30 weeks at the training ground in London Colney. Players stay registered with their grassroots club. | Read official information ↗ |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Girls' academy and Emerging Talent Centre | Wolves invited girls in school years 3 to 10, as of April 2026, to register for summer academy and Emerging Talent Centre sessions. Registration closed on 1 May. Attendance was by invitation. These sessions are past opportunities. Use the FA centre contact to ask about the next assessment. | Read official information ↗ |
Durham Women: girls’ academy and trials
The FA lists Durham in both its academy and Emerging Talent Centre directories. Its 2026/27 notice offered open trials for Under-9, Under-10 and Under-12 on 3 June, and Under-14 on 4 June. These dates have passed. The club said it would not hold Under-16 trials that season.
Girls’ information checked 5 October 2026. Read the club’s recruitment page ↗. Category 1 status: FA academy directory.
London City Lionesses: girls’ academy and trials
The academy has Under-16 and Under-21 teams, plus Under-12, Under-13 and Under-14 squads. It trains in Ditton, Kent. Its academy page links to expressions of interest for players from Under-9 upwards for 2026/27. The club reviews applications. An invitation is not guaranteed. Ask whether the published forms are still accepting players.
Girls’ information checked 5 October 2026. Read the club’s recruitment page ↗. Category 1 status: FA academy directory.
For a club where no current trial date was confirmed, use the official academy or centre contact to ask. This does not mean the club has stopped recruiting.
Other clubs with girls’ information
These guides have their own source links and verification dates. They are outside the 2026/27 WSL and WSL 2 list above.
- England Football, Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres ↗
- England Football, Professional Game Academies ↗
- England Football, Discover My Talent referral ↗
- WSL Football, 2026/27 fixtures and club membership ↗
These sources and the club information above were checked on 5 October 2026.
Earlier sources from this guide
The earlier guide was checked on 7 September 2026. Its background links are preserved here. The current club table uses the official sources above and the linked club notices.
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