League One Reading has withdrew, and the Rams will take their place.
Derby County have accepted the Premier League’s invitation to compete in the National League Cup, following Reading’s withdrawal from the competition.
The event is created for National League clubs and Premier League 2 teams to help young players grow. Derby under-21s, which are open to clubs with Premier League 2 teams, will begin their season next month after Reading, who are currently seeking a takeover, pulled out.
National League clubs would be able to play against the top young players in the country in their own stadiums while keeping all gate receipts. Jake Buxton’s Rams will compete against Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham, and Southampton from Premier League 2, as well as National League sides Aldershot Town, Maidenhead United, Wealdstone, and Woking.
The competition is a midweek competition with 32 teams: 16 under-21 teams from the Premier League 2 and 16 first teams from National League clubs.
The competition will be divided into four groups of eight, with the top two teams from each group advancing to a knockout stage to determine the winner.
Tony Scholes, Chief Football Officer of the Premier League, stated, “We’re thrilled to announce this new tournament in collaboration with the National League. The competition will provide additional opportunity for young players in the under 17-21 age categories to get crucial experience playing against First Team opposition, as many of our current Premier League stars have done throughout their careers. We are thrilled to be able to assist in the running of the competition and look forward to seeing the broader benefits it will bring to National League clubs.”
Mark Ives, General Manager of the National League, stated, “This new tournament marks another exciting chapter in our cooperation with the Premier League. Our teams will have a fantastic opportunity to compete against some of the greatest Academy players in the country. We’re thrilled to be working more closely with the Premier League on the operational side of the new competition, and we look forward to expanding our valued cooperation.”
The Premier League has sponsored the competition’s combined prize pool of £1 million. Prize money will only be paid to National League teams.
The competition becomes part of the Elite Player Performance Plan, which has seen over £2 billion invested in Premier League and EFL academies over the last decade with the goal of developing more and better homegrown players.
Fixtures
Aldershot Town Vs Derby County Under-21s, Tuesday October 15, 7pm.
Maidenhead United Vs Derby County Under-21s, Tuesday November 5, 7.30pm.
Wealdstone Vs Derby County Under-21, Tuesday December 3, 7.30pm
Woking Vs Derby County Under-21s, Tuesday January 7, 7pm
