How to Build a Footballer: Inside Exeter City’s Remarkable Academy

Ollie Watkins. Ethan Ampadu. Matt Grimes. How does Exeter City keep producing players who reach the top? From the “must-haves” Exeter demand of every youngster to their ambition to develop a Champions League winner, this is a guide to youth development for fans of every club. Why isn’t the best under-18 player always the best prospect? When should clubs be patient and when must they let a player go? What can non-league football teach that academy matches can’t? And is joining a Premier League club always the right move? Ali Maxwell speaks to Exeter City Academy Director Arran Pugh to explore what goes into developing a professional footballer. This episode is one of a two-part series highlighting the EFL’s Raised in the EFL campaign, celebrating the academies, people and opportunities that shape football’s next generation, on and off the pitch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices