Birmingham City, who developed Jude Bellingham, will soon be awarded Category One academy status thanks to a continued push from their U.S. owners, Knighthead.
The club, who will next season play in the Championship — the second tier of English football — after winning League One with a record-breaking 111 points, have been working to restore the academy back its previous level.
The club’s academy produced current Real Madrid midfielder and England international Bellingham, but lost their Category One status in 2022 after being granted an initial 12-month provisional licence. It was revoked by the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC) due to a lack of investment from the former owners, Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd.
As part of the latest audit, the PGAAC returned to the Knighthead Performance Centre, formerly known as Wast Hills, to access, amongst other things, the facilities and staffing levels.
Birmingham have received a positive update and will be able to start building for the future. Category One status will open the door to the elite domestic leagues and fixtures, and allow the club to continue rebuilding after losing some of their best young players across various age levels to rival clubs.
Chairman Tom Wagner previously spoke about improving the academy and pledged to “help young talent” flourish when Knighthead gained control of the club in 2023.
A provisional one-year licence has been granted ahead of another audit next season.
(Top image of Jude Bellingham at Birmingham City, via James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)