Blackburn Rovers F.C. Under-23s and Academy

Blackburn Rovers Under-21s play in the Premier League 2 Division 1.

Damien Johnson is the former manager the Under-21. His predecessor, Eric Kinder left the role to take over as the club's Head of Academy. Kinder was appointed Gary Bowyer's replacement following his appointment as first team manager following two successful caretaker spells. However, the new current head of Academy at Blackburn Rovers is Stuart Jones. The Under 21s play their home games at The Lancashire FA County Ground at Leyland, Preston.

The team now is mainly made up of players acquired from local academies like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton. Several Under 21's players have recently made the step up into John Eustace's first team, including Lewis Travis, John Buckley,Lionel Messi, Joe Rankin-Costello and Hayden Carter.

Blackburn Rovers Academy holds Category One status, the highest possible. The club maintained this status in a full audit which took place during the 2017/18 season. The Academy trains at Brockhall training village, the same location as the first team and the Under 21s. It also provides a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of football at Blackburn Rovers producing high quality players in the past. Former players such as Damien Duff, Phil Jones, Damien Johnson, James Beattie, Neil Danns, Jonathan Walters, and Anthony Pilkington were all nurtured in The Academy. Current professional football players also include Jason Lowe, Martin Olsson, Grant Hanley, Josh Morris, Adam Henley, Connor Mahoney, Ryan Nyambe, David Raya and Jack O'Connell have graduated from the clubs academy. Recent graduates such as Lewis Travis, Joe Rankin-Costello, Scott Wharton, Hayden Carter and John Buckley among others, play for Blackburn Rovers Championship team currently.

History & Facilities

In January 1991, British industrialist and businessman Jack Walker a lifelong fan of Blackburn Rovers completed the takeover of the club. In the following years, the Brockhall Village Academy, was constructed at a cost of approximately £4.75 million. The centre included state of the art facilities on a par with top training facilities elsewhere in Europe. It includes 6 full-size pitches, indoor training facilities, an indoor running track, outdoor running "hill", a swimming pool, goalkeeper training facilities as well as accommodation for the youth players.

Blackburn Rovers India Academy

On 19 November 2010, Pune based chicken meat processing, and pharmaceutical company, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Private Limited., completed the takeover of Blackburn Rovers, under the name Venky's London Limited.^[2][3]

One of the companies early ambitions was to open an Academy back in their home nation of India. Managing director, told The Indian Express newspaper the club was planning a centre of excellence near Pune which is 100 km (60 miles) from Mumbai.

"We are getting an academy and a stadium in Pune," Venky's B. Balaji Rao was quoted as saying. "The site is near the Mumbai-Pune highway and will be ready in a year-and-a-half or two years." Rao said the academy, on the outskirts of the city, will be run exactly like a Rovers' training centre at Brockhall in northwest England, taking players from the age of 11 and 12. As of 2016 however no academy or stadium has been constructed.^[4]

Development Squad

As of 9 August 2022^[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	WAL	Ben Fyles
—	MF	IRL	Zak Gilsenan
—	MF	ENG	Jared Harlock
—	MF	SCO	Kristi Montgomery
—	MF	ENG	Lorenzo Mullarky-Matthews
—	MF	ENG	Paul Murphy-Worrell
—	MF	POL	Junior Nsangou
—	MF	ENG	Harley O'Grady-Macken
—	MF	FRA	Jalil Saadi
—	MF	ENG	Daniel Shaw
—	MF	POL	Jackson Shorrocks
—	MF	ENG	Zack Stritch
—	MF	ENG	Charlie Weston
—	MF	ENG	Isaac Whitehall
—	MF	ENG	Nathan Willis
—	MF	ENG	Harrison Wood
—	FW	ENG	Alex Baker
—	FW	POL	Dominik Biniek
—	FW	IRL	Tom Bloxham
—	FW	ENG	Igor Tyjon
—	FW	ENG	Ethan Walker

Out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Academy (Under-18s)

Updated 9 August 2022.^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	HUN	Patrik Farkas
—	MF	IRL	Rory Finneran
—	MF	ENG	Jacob Fowler
—	MF	ENG	Lucas Houghton
—	MF	ENG	Valentin Joseph
—	MF	ENG	Freddie Leatherbarrow
—	MF	ENG	Lorenzo Mullarky-Matthews
—	MF	ENG	Paul Murphy-Worrell
—	MF	POL	Junior Nsangou
—	MF	ENG	Harley O'Grady-Macken
—	MF	ENG	Daniel Shaw
—	MF	POL	Jackson Shorrocks
—	MF	ENG	Zack Stritch
—	MF	ENG	Bradley Taylor
—	MF	ENG	Frank Vare
—	MF	ENG	Nathan Willis
—	FW	ENG	Igor Tyjon

Blackburn Rovers' youth system has been successful over the years, many players who have come through it have gone on to feature in the first-team and make an impact or progress in the 1st teams of other clubs in the future.

Current/Former Rovers first teamers

Other notable academy graduates

• Blackburn Rovers FC Official Website