England's under-21 football leagues are filled with players whose clubs see no future for them, according to a decade-long study by a PhD researcher. In the 2012-13 season, 836 under-21 players were registered across 20 Premier League clubs, yet many were simply making up numbers. The study tracked 303 players aged 16-18 from 21 clubs and found that while 56% were awarded a professional contract at 18, this often proved a false dawn.
Premier League 2 (PL2) and the Professional Development League (PDL) now host around 1,078 players across 49 teams. However, coaches and managers do not perceive these as 'real football', viewing them as development games with little at stake. Clubs typically see a future in only one or two players, leaving the rest as 'facilitator players' who are released at 21.
The study revealed that being stuck in the under-21 system hinders careers. Players who went on loan before turning 21 extended their careers by an average of two years. Those who received a professional contract moved clubs five times in their first five years, with two of those moves being loans. The research exposes the myth that an early contract guarantees a successful career.
