10 Greatest Leeds United Academy Players in Football History [Ranked
Key Takeaways
- Leeds United’s academy has produced many outstanding players.
Leeds was aided to win the First Division by David Batty.
James Milner made history at Elland Road prior to his 20-year departure.Leeds United’s academy has a remarkable track record of turning out outstanding players, and many players who began their careers at Elland Road have gone on to play the beautiful game at some of the highest levels.
Despite not having had the same level of success as they did in the early 2000s (placing third in the 1999–2000 season), United continues to produce incredible talent through its youth system, the Category 1 Academy. In light of this, the following ten players—including Champions League and Premier League winners—are the greatest to have ever passed through the system.
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10Kalvin Phillips
Leeds career span: 2014-2022
Leeds’s youth system produced several of today’s heroes, like Kalvin Phillips. Defensive midfielder Phillips was a fan favourite at Elland Road, where he made 234 appearances and assisted the team in returning to the Premier League.
After agreeing to a £43 million transfer to Manchester City in July 2022, he was somewhat involved in the team’s treble victory in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. Moreover, Phillips managed to earn a spot in the England team for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2020, thanks to the admiration of Gareth Southgate for the rising star. For the 2024–2025 season, he is currently on loan at Ipswich.
| Kalvin Phillips’ Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 276 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 14 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Manchester City: £43million (2022) |
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9Paul Robinson
Leeds career span: 1998-2004
Another player who triumphed throughout his career—from the Leeds Academy to representing England in the biggest international competitions—is Paul Robinson. Robinson would go on to play for Burnley, Tottenham, Leeds, and Blackburn Rovers, amassing 88 Premier League Clean Sheets in 375 games.
| Paul Robinson’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 498 |
| Clean Sheets | 123 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Blackburn Rovers: £3.5million (2008) |
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8Gary Kelly
Leeds career span: 1992-2007
Following his graduation from Leeds United’s academy, Gary Kelly had an incredible career with the Yorkshire club, making 508 appearances. Perhaps the most memorable game of his career was playing in the 2001 Champions League semifinal against Valencia, where Leeds lost 3-0.
Kelly earned 52 caps and competed for his country in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He was also a mainstay for the Republic of Ireland national team.
| Gary Kelly’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 508 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 17 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | Never sold |
7Jack Charlton
Leeds career span: 1952-1973
Legendary English footballer Jack Charlton played his whole club career for Leeds United, from 1950 to 1973. Although he never participated in what would be considered Leeds’ current academy system, it would seem unfair to overlook someone with his background, especially since the one-club man won the World Cup with England in 1966. Charlton went on to have a number of high-profile managerial positions with clubs including Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle, and the Republic of Ireland national team.
| Jack Charlton’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 577 |
| Goals | 74 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | Never sold |
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6David Batty
Leeds career span: 1987-1993 and 1998-2004
Another player who would play a significant amount of time for his boyhood club was David Batty, who made 228 appearances for the team between 1988 and 1993 and 1998 and 2004. He played 40 games and won the final initial Division title during his initial stint at the club prior to the Premier League’s rebranding.
In addition, Batty played for Newcastle United and was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team that won the Premier League in 1994–1995. The midfielder also played 42 times for his country, England, making appearances at the World Cup 98 and the Euro 96, when he failed to convert a penalty against Argentina in the round of 16.
| David Batty’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 435 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 21 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Leeds: £5.7million (1999) |
5Jonathan Woodgate
Leeds career span: 1998-2003
Remarkably gifted, Jonathan Woodgate emerged from the Leeds academy in 2004 to play alongside David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, and Luis Figo at Real Madrid. Despite his unfulfilled La Liga career, the fact that the Galacticos signed the centre-back at all is a testament to his exceptional talent.
During his career, Woodgate played for Stoke, Newcastle United, Tottenham, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle United in addition to playing 139 appearances for Leeds.
| Jonathan Woodgate’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 388 |
| Goals | 11 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Real Madrid: £13.4 million (2004) |
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4Harry Kewell
Leeds career span: 1996-2003
Harry Kewell, an Australian football icon, signed with Leeds as part of the ‘Big Brother Movement’ when he was fifteen years old. He later flew to the UK for an Elland Road trial alongside Brett Emerton, a future colleague on the Australian national team. Kewell had a highly successful career with Leeds. Both would succeed in their trials with the team, but because of visa limitations, only Kewell was able to accept the opportunity to stay.
Over his senior career, Kewell played 236 games for Leeds, tallying 28 assists and 61 goals. The Socceroos star would depart the team in 2003 to sign with Liverpool, where he would go on to win the FA Cup in 2006 and the Champions League in 2005.
| Harry Kewell’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 510 |
| Goals | 122 |
| Assists | 69 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | to Liverpool for a reported £5 Million in 2003 |
3Gary Speed
Leeds career span: 1988-1996
Among the best Leeds players to ever play at Elland Road was the late Welsh football star Gary Speed. Speed began his senior career at the Academy. He would go on to play at the senior level for 226 games, winning the First Division title in 1991–1992 and the Community Shield in 1992–1993.
Despite being warmly recalled by Leeds supporters for his time with the team, he would accrue more on-field experience with Newcastle, where he played 258 games, with 21 assists and 39 goals.
| Gary Speed’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 774 |
| Goals | 117 |
| Assists | 51 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Newcastle: £5.5million (1998) |
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2James Milner
Leeds career span: 2002-2004
James Milner, who played almost 800 club games, has had one of the most amazing careers of any player to come out of the Leeds United Academy.
Milner would make 53 appearances for Leeds’ first team, tallying five goals and providing two assists. Milner has won three Premier Leagues, a Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, and two League Cups, but it’s what he’s done after leaving the club that truly grabs attention.
| James Milner’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 876 |
| Goals | 85 |
| Assists | 135 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Manchester City: £26m (2010) |
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1Dennis Irwin
Leeds career span: 1983-1986
Dennis Irwin is the all-time great Leeds United youth player, even if there are several other outstanding players on this list as well. Irwin’s career with Manchester United, where he won three FA Cups, a League Cup, one Champions League, and seven Premier League crowns, is significantly more well-known.
Irwin is regarded as one of the greatest left backs in English football history, therefore his seven games wearing a Leeds shirt are just an afterthought at this time. He is among the greatest, though, and he did attend the Leeds Academy.
| Dennis Irwin’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 613 |
| Goals | 35 |
| Assists | 26 |
| Biggest Transfer Fee | To Manchester United: £650,000 (1990) |
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