Founder Story

Football academy rejection: what helps after the no

Football academy rejection hurts. From a player with five trials and five nos: how clubs tell you, the first few days, feedback, and where to get support.

Five trials, and five nos. That's my record. No big comeback story at the end of it either. I've had the no more than once and I still turn up to training.

If you've just had yours, this is what I'd want someone to tell me. If you're a parent reading over their shoulder, there's a bit for you near the end.

How academies tell you it's a no

It might be a phone call or an email. Or nothing comes at all, and the silence ends up being the answer.

The Premier League's Youth Development Rules for 2026/27 set out how long a trial can last: up to eight weeks in a season, with a possible four-week extension for under 9s to under 16s. I couldn't find anything in them that says a club has to tell a trialist how it went. So if it goes quiet, that's the system. It isn't a verdict on you as a person.

However the news reaches you, it tends to land the same way. Hard.

If you were a registered academy player rather than a trialist, the rules are firmer. Clubs have to tell younger players in writing, by the third Saturday in May, whether they're keeping their registration. And an under 16 who's told there's no scholarship coming is free to look for an academy somewhere else.

The wait is often worse than the answer

There's usually a gap between the last session and knowing. You replay touches. You check your phone more than you'd admit.

That's normal. It still grinds you down.

One thing that helps is giving the waiting a limit. Pick a date in your head. Until then, train as normal. After it, assume it's a no and start planning the next step. If good news turns up later, brilliant.

Feeling rubbish about it is normal

You're not overreacting. Football's been a massive part of your week, maybe for years, and someone just said not this time.

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University interviewed young players released by academies and wrote it up in The Conversation in 2022. Three of the four players they spoke to had low mood or anxiety, in some cases for up to a year. One who had counselling said he felt much better after it. That was a tiny study of players let go after years at a club, not after a trial. The feeling of being knocked back by football is real at any level, though.

The same piece points out that 97% of former elite academy players never went on to play in the Premier League. The Premier League's own parent guidance says most young people leave the academy system without a professional playing career. If you've had a no, you're in very big company.

If it's sitting heavy, talk to someone

Start with someone you trust. Could be a parent or a coach, could be a mate from your team.

If you'd rather talk to someone outside all of it, Childline is free and confidential for anyone under 19 in the UK. Call 0800 1111, day or night, and it won't show on the phone bill. You can also message a counsellor at childline.org.uk.

If you were released by an academy in the under 17 to under 21 age groups, the Premier League says clubs give a three-year commitment of aftercare support, and academies have to have a full-time member of staff for player care. Ask them what's on offer. Scholars are also PFA members, which means access to the PFA's 24/7 counselling helpline.

What helps in the first few days

Nobody needs a ten-step plan here. Just a few things that stop the week from swallowing you.

• Go to your next session. Back with your own team, doing normal football. Routine helps more than sitting in your room.
• Keep eating and sleeping properly. Appetite is often the first thing to go when you're low. I've written up what to eat after football training if you need ideas that aren't a chore.
• Message the mate who was there with you. They might be feeling it too.
• Write down what went well, then one thing to work on. Just one. Specific beats vague.
• Hold off posting about it. Give it a few days. The version of you on day two isn't the one who should be writing captions.

You don't need to buy anything to bounce back either. No new boots, no protein powder. If you're wondering about that last one, here's the truth about protein for teenage players.

Asking for feedback

Some clubs give feedback. Plenty don't. If you had a contact, send one polite message:

Send it once. Don't chase. If they reply, write it down and use it. If they don't, that tells you nothing about how good you are. It just means they've moved on to the next group. You can too.

Getting ready for the next one

A no from one club doesn't stop you trialling somewhere else. Under the Premier League's rules you can't be on trial at two academies at the same time, but once a trial's over you're free to try again.

When the next chance comes, I've put together what coaches look at during trials week. And if your stomach goes on the morning of a big game, the nerves section in what to eat before a football match is worth a read.

As for me, none of my five turned into a call-up. I'm still playing, still training, and building The Match Day Club alongside it.

There's no triumph at the end of this bit. Just the next session.

The parent bit

When your child gets a no, the pep talk can wait. "You'll get the next one" skips straight past the bit that hurts.

Something like "That's a rough week. You worked hard for it. It's fair to be gutted. What do you fancy doing this weekend?" tends to land better. Believe them, then give them a bit of space.

The Premier League's parent guidance found that 77% of academy parents had moderate to high expectations their child would turn professional. Worth being honest with yourself about where your own hopes sit, because kids pick up on it.

If their mood is low for weeks, they've stopped enjoying things they used to love, or they're not sleeping, talk to your GP. The NHS advice for children and young people is a good place to start too. And make sure they know Childline is there if they'd rather talk to someone who isn't you. That's not a failure on your part. Sometimes it's just easier.

Quick answers

Do football academies tell you if you didn't get in after a trial? Not always. Some call or email, some don't. The Premier League's youth rules set how long a trial can last, but I couldn't find any rule saying a club must tell a trialist the outcome.

How long does a football academy trial last? At a Premier League academy, up to eight weeks in a season under the 2026/27 rules, with a possible four-week extension for under 9s to under 16s.

Can you go to another academy trial after being rejected? Yes. You can't be on trial at two Premier League academies at once, but when a trial ends you're free to try elsewhere.

Who can I talk to after an academy rejection? Someone you trust first. Childline is free, confidential and open 24/7 for under 19s on 0800 1111. Released academy players can also ask their club's player care staff about aftercare.

A no is one club's decision on one day. It doesn't get to decide whether you keep playing. That bit's yours.