Following the release of the 2024/25 Under-18 Premier League and Premier League 2 fixtures, we take a look at some of the best players to have progressed from their respective academies and into the first-team.
Bukayo Saka
U18 stats: P18 G11, PL2 stats: P21 G5
Saka showed why he would go on to become one of the league's best players after scoring 11 times in 18 U18 Premier League matches, which included a brace in 6-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in 2017/18.
The following season, Saka made his first-team debut while also contributing for Arsenal's PL2 side, scoring five times in 21 appearances.
And since then, the Arsenal academy graduate has featured 170 times in the league, playing starring roles in their 2022/23 and 2023/24 title challenges.
Saka has also earned 40 England caps and has featured in two UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
U18 stats: P36 G7, PL2 stats: P13 G4
After only two seasons in the U18 Premier League and PL2, in which he scored seven and four goals respectively, Liverpool's right-back was brought into the first-team by Jurgen Klopp.
Such was the trust placed in him by the former Liverpool manager, Alexander-Arnold made his first Premier League start against Manchester United at Old Trafford in January 2017.
And he has gone on to repay that faith shown in him by delivering incredible performances for the past several seasons.
Since his debut, Alexander-Arnold has made 226 league appearances for the senior side, is now their vice captain and has won every major honour with the club. He is also just one behind his team-mate Andrew Robertson in the all-time assist records among defenders, with 58.
Kobbie Mainoo
U18 stats: P28 G2, PL2 stats: P17 G2
Man Utd have a rich history of players coming through their academy and going on to become first-team stars. Mainoo, still only 19, is another to add to that long list of homegrown talent.
After only 28 appearances in the U18 Premier League and a further 17 in PL2 from 2020 to 2023, Mainoo made the step up to the first-team and has been a shining light for the club.
He has played in 25 Premier League matches, 24 of which came in 2023/24, and scored in their FA Cup final success against Manchester City last season.
Cole Palmer
U18 stats: P25 G19, PL2 stats: P26 G27
While he has already established himself as a talisman for Chelsea, it was his years starting out at Man City that paved the way for Palmer's success.
After producing an incredible 46 combined goals in the U18 Premier League and PL2 in only 51 appearances, it is little surprise to see Palmer scoring so freely for Chelsea.
He scored or assisted 32 goals last season, the joint-most of any player in the Premier League and Palmer then took his excellent form into UEFA EURO 2024, creating the winner in the semi-final, before netting England's equaliser against Spain in the final.
Conor Gallagher
U18 stats: P38 G9, PL2 stats: P20 G4
In addition to his 38 appearances in the U18 Premier League, Gallagher was part of the squads that won the title in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Successful loan spells at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace were pivotal in Gallagher's development as he eventually became a first-team regular for Chelsea.
The 24-year-old has also captained his boyhood club and represented England 18 times.
Lewis Miley
U18 stats: P30 G3, PL2 stats: P13 G3
Miley only spent two seasons playing in the U18 and PL2 before being named as a starter for Newcastle United in the top flight.
He became Newcastle's youngest Premier League debutant when he was brought on by Eddie Howe in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
Indeed the second time he faced Chelsea, last November, Miley recorded his first league assist to help his side secure a 4-1 win.
This meant Miley became the sixth-youngest player to assist a Premier League goal, joining the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney on the list.
Oliver Skipp
U18 stats: P29 G0, PL2 stats: P22 G1
At the club since the age of five, Skipp is now an integral part of Tottenham Hotspur's squad having played 77 times in the league.
The 23-year-old was given his top-flight debut by Mauricio Pochettino in December 2018, aged just 18, and though he's only scored one Premier League goal, it was one to remember as he produced a superb strike in a 2-0 win against rivals Chelsea in 2022/23.
Jack Hinshelwood
U18 stats: P30 G7, PL2 stats: P27 G5
After three seasons playing in the U18 Premier League and PL2, Hinshelwood enjoyed a memorable campaign for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023/24.
The 19-year-old made 13 top-flight appearances last season before an injury brought his campaign to an abrupt end.
Despite that, Hinshelwood was named the club's young player of the season and was also rewarded with a new contract in April.
