Earlier this season, the Premier League and National League announced the formation of the National League Cup, a new competition designed to enrich player development at different levels of the football pyramid.
The competition, which began in October, pits together 16 Premier League and EFL clubs who feature in Premier League 2 against 16 first-team squads from the National League, increasing opportunities, experiences and exposure for all those taking part.
"It's been a really good competition for us," said West Ham United Academy Manager Kenny Brown, as he watched his Under-21 team take on National League side Dagenham & Redbridge in Group D last week.
"Without the backing of the Premier League, this wouldn't happen. It's a fantastic addition to the Games Programme and gives brilliant experiences to players and staff. We are playing at a proper ground in front of supporters. Our players are playing against people that are older, that are men, and they are playing against different systems and styles of play.
"It's also a massive learning experience for the coaches. There is a competitiveness to it. If we are behind and we need to win, the manager has to work out how to change the game in order to get something. It makes them better.
"As well as Dagenham & Redbridge, we've also played Ebbsfleet and Braintree. We've been really well welcomed with brilliant hospitality and it's really important that we respect what we're doing and we appreciate where they're at. It's also an education off the pitch for our players. It's a good reality check for them to see what they do at these clubs and see how they act, they're just as professional as us."
The competition also provides pathways for Academy players to progress to first-team football and this season there are three examples of players who have made their Premier League debuts having played in the National League Cup.
Nicole Farley
West Ham United Academy coach
"The National League Cup gives our players the experience of what that matchday competition and that increased pressure feels like. It's invaluable experiences that set them up on their pathway to hopefully go to the next level. In a coaching toolbox, you can only do so much on the training ground. It's the classic phrase, 'the game is a teacher.' We're developing tools and testing players in different environments. Every competition is important to us and we take this one very seriously. With the Premier League backing this, it's something quite precious. This is real. It's what their careers are going to look like, it's absolutely brilliant."
Earlier this month, Lewis Orford made his senior debut for West Ham against Crystal Palace while Hammers team-mate did the same at AFC Bournemouth in December. Tottenham Hotspur's Alfie Dorrington, now on loan at Aberdeen, featured as a substitute against Southampton.
"The introduction of the National League Cup gives our Under-21 players more opportunity to play against men's teams in a different type of competition to the one they're used to in Premier League 2," said Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes.
"It also gives the National League clubs good opportunities to open up, generate revenue as well as the chance to play against the best under-21 teams in the country.
"In addition to that, it's a deepening of the relationship that the Premier League has with the National League competition as well as on an individual club level. West Ham have already got a very close relationship with Dagenham & Redbridge but this is a deepening of those associations and partnerships which can only be good for both clubs."
Notable Premier League stars have progressed through the ranks via the National League, including West Ham's Jarrod Bowen, Newcastle United's Dan Burn and most famously, Jamie Vardy of Leicester City.
Of the players included in the National League team of the season in Season 2023/24, 10 of the 11 players were developed in Premier League or EFL Academies under the EPPP.
The National League Cup is part of the Premier League's commitment to supporting the wider game and communities across England and Wales.
The Premier League announced an increased investment package of £23.6 million over four years for the National League and its 72 clubs. The majority of the funding is being used to support clubs with their running costs and sustainability, with a further £3.6 million made available via the Premier League and PFA's partnership to support the National League Trust and its network of 55 club community organisations. This more than doubles the investment agreed for 2022-25.
