Huddersfield Town academy expansion continues as category upgraded
Huddersfield Town now have Category Two status, while Jon Worthington has been given a new job title
Huddersfield Town have been granted Category Two academy status for the 2025/26 season, allowing the club to continue to expand their youth football operation.
Town had previously operated a B-team system that began at under-17s, but re-introduced younger age groups last year.
This recent upgrade from Category Three allows Town to provide an ‘elite’ training programme for their academy players, broadens their geographic catchment area, and opens up more routes to play against academies of a similar level.
The criteria are assessed based on the quality of facilities and coaching, which is led by recent first-team interim boss Jon Worthington — who has taken on the new job title of academy director, representing a promotion from his previous position as academy manager.
Worthington said in a club statement: “Category Two status represents another incredibly exciting step up for what we’re doing as an academy, and is great recognition of the brilliant work being done across all levels by our academy staff. Again, they deserve a massive amount of credit for helping make this possible.
“In the past year we have built an infrastructure and environment that gives young footballers chance to learn, grow and develop, and this leap gives us scope to further introduce more advanced training programmes and access to a higher level of opponent, all with the goal of helping to create first team players for Huddersfield Town in the future.
“With so much potential already across our age groups, giving them the best programme to follow possible will only be a good thing for the club and our players.
“Our values don’t change with what we do, and we’ll still be looking to instil the beliefs and principles of our club from a young age, but the ability to operate at an elite level and compete at a higher level gives young players the best possible chance to succeed. A lot of hard work lies ahead, but I’m really looking forward to going on this journey and seeing where it takes us.”
CEO Jake Edwards added: “To have achieved Category Two status just one year on from reopening our full academy is a hugely proud milestone for the club, and underlines the incredible work being done by our academy staff at Canalside in helping nurture and develop future talent for the first team. It also shows the seriousness and importance with which we are taking this project at all levels.
“Chairman Kevin Nagle has made no secret of his passion and vision for the academy, and his backing has allowed us to invest in infrastructure, facilities and high-level coaches that this jump from Category Three to Category Two would’ve been impossible without.
“Our goal has always been to give local footballers the best chance possible to succeed, and we believe that this step will help make that a reality.
“Remaining of key strategic importance for us long-term, we are proud of the academy we are building and the progress already made to date. Jon Worthington and his staff should be extremely proud of this achievement, and we look forward to seeing success continue to be born from the platform they have built themselves.”