Sunderland A.F.C. Academy are the youth team of Sunderland Football Club

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

. It is a member of the Premier Academy League

Premier Academy League

The Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...

. They have won the FA Youth Cup in 1960, 1961, 2010 and were runners-up in 1958, 2008. The academy team is coached by Ged McNamee, Kevin Ball

Kevin Ball

Kevin Ball aka 'The Hatchet' is a former professional footballer and now coach. Between 6 March and 8 May 2006 Ball acted as Sunderland caretaker manager for the last ten games of the 2005–06 season following the sacking of Mick McCarthy, taking five points from these games...

, Elliott Dickman, Carlton Fairweather

Carlton Fairweather

Carlton U. Fairweather, born 22 September 1961 in Camberwell) is a retired English footballer.-Playing career:Fairweather began his career in Non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, Bromley and Tooting & Mitcham United where his performances attracted the attentions of Wimbledon.He signed for the...

 and Stephen Clemence

Stephen Clemence

Stephen Neal Clemence is a retired English football midfielder who last played for Leicester City where he was team captain....

. They play at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground and the Academy of Light

Academy of Light

The Academy of Light is the name of the UEFA five star certified training facilities and youth academy for English football club Sunderland A.F.C....

 - and the Stadium of Light

Stadium of Light

The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

 for bigger matches.

Current squad

Academy squad

As of 29 May 2011

Notable Academy graduates

NB: Bold players are still playing at Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

Gary Owers

Gary Owers

Gary Owers is an English former professional footballer and was previously manager of Forest Green Rovers of the Nationwide Conference as well as the Assistant Manager at League Two side Aldershot Town...

 Gordon Armstrong

Gordon Armstrong

Gordon Armstrong, born 15 July 1967 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He now works as a football agent, and has amongst the players he manages a number of current and former players from Burnley Football Club.During his career he played...

 Richard Ord

Richard Ord

Richard Ord is a former English professional footballer best known for his time with Sunderland....

 Brian Atkinson

Brian Atkinson

Brian Atkinson is an English former footballer who played as a left winger or central midfielder....

 Michael Bridges

Michael Bridges

Michael Bridges is an English football striker who currently plays for A-League club, Newcastle Jets. Bridge has previously played over 200 Premier League games.-Sunderland:...

 Chris Brown Thomas Butler

Thomas Butler (footballer)

Thomas Butler is a professional footballer who currently plays for Swansea City in the Premier League. He has played for the Republic of Ireland at under-21 and senior level....

 Cliff Byrne

Cliff Byrne

Clifford "Cliff" Byrne is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Scunthorpe United.Born in Dublin, Byrne previously played for Sunderland.He took part in a UEFA 'B' coaching course in summer 2005....

 Ben Clark

Ben Clark (footballer)

Benjamin "Ben" Clark is a professional footballer who plays for Conference National side Gateshead.-Manchester United:...

 Jordan Cook

Jordan Cook

Jordan Alan Cook is an English professional footballer, who plays as a striker at Premier League side Sunderland.-Career:...

Jack Colback

Jack Colback

Jack Raymond Colback is an English footballer who plays for as a midfielder for Sunderland in the Premier League. Colback is a product of the Sunderland academy, and has also played for Ipswich Town on loan during both the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons.-Sunderland:Born in Killingworth, North...

Trevor Carson

Trevor Carson

Trevor Carson is a Northern Irish professional footballer with Bury on loan from Premier League team Sunderland.-Sunderland:...

Michael Gray Peter Hartley

Peter Hartley (footballer)

Peter Hartley is a football defender, currently playing for Hartlepool United.Born in Hartlepool, Hartley joined Sunderland on a youth contract in 2000, and was promoted from the youth academy in 2006....

 Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson

Jordan Brian Henderson is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team as a midfielder. He had a loan spell at Coventry City in 2009. He earned his first international cap for England, having previously played for the under-19, under-20 and...

 Darren Holloway

Darren Holloway

Darren Holloway is a professional footballer. His former clubs include Bradford City , Wimbledon, Scunthorpe United , Sunderland and Darlington...

 Kevin Kyle

Kevin Kyle

Kevin Alistair Kyle is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre forward for SPL club Hearts.- Early life :...

 Grant Leadbitter

Grant Leadbitter

Grant Leadbitter is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Football League Championship club Ipswich Town. He played for Sunderland from 2003 until 2009 after rising as a product from the team's Youth Academy...

 George McCartney

George McCartney

George McCartney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for West Ham United on loan from Sunderland. He began his youth career at Sunderland, moving to West Ham before returning to Sunderland at the start of Roy Keane's time at charge...

Michael Proctor

Michael Proctor

Michael Anthony Proctor is a former English footballer. He was born in Sunderland, England.-Sunderland:Proctor made his debut for Sunderland against Everton in the League Cup on 11 November 1998, which finished as a 1–1 draw. He was loaned to Danish side Hvidovre in 2000 to recuperate from a...

 Paul Thirlwell

Paul Thirlwell

Paul Thirlwell is an English footballer who has played for four English clubs...

 Martyn Waghorn

Martyn Waghorn

Martyn Thomas Waghorn is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a striker, on loan from Leicester City. Waghorn had been with Sunderland since the age of eight and made his first team debut for the club in December 2007 against Manchester United at the age of 17...