As part of the Premier League Futures programme, a group of 17 to 19-year-old academy players travelled to Atlanta, US, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The tour provided the young players with an opportunity to compete against Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs and US colleges, experience the importance of the local communities that the Premier League works with, and demonstrate the alternative pathways that are available outside the UK club game. The players also got to learn first-hand about the civil rights' movement and Dr Martin Luther King.
Premier League Futures is a 12-month development programme open to current and former academy players across men's and women's football aged 18-24 years. It supports a core part of the Premier League No Room For Racism Action Plan, which seeks to enhance executive career pathways for underrepresented groups.
Earlier this year 12 current or former academy players travelled to Nike’s global headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, for a four-day tour, and this latest US visit underlined the Premier League’s commitment to player development and support for transition beyond the academy.
It also reflected the Premier League's increasing engagement with the US as a key market, and the impact it is making both on and off the pitch. This tour was not just about football - it was about pathways, community engagement, and professional growth.
From a football perspective, it offered a truly aspirational experience for the players involved. They competed at MLS clubs Orlando City and Atlanta United, while also experiencing elite student-athlete environments at the University of Central Florida and Georgia State University.
The opportunity to engage with these institutions aligns with the Premier League's goal of broadening player pathways, particularly in showcasing potential routes into US college soccer and professional leagues like MLS NEXT Pro.
Beyond football, the community engagement element is just as powerful. In Atlanta, for example, the Futures programme will be working with "Soccer in the Streets", a charity supporting young people in disadvantaged areas of the city.
Indeed, the Premier League supported Soccer in the Streets at last summer’s Summer Series, and with the event returning to Atlanta this year, it reinforced the league's community impact in the US.
The academy graduates actively took part in these football sessions, contributing to both their social and personal growth.
"Playing football with Soccer in the Streets, helping coach them, seeing the smiles on everyones' faces makes it enjoyable for me," said US Futures academy player Harry Lee.
Another key part of the tour was the inclusion of Premier League coaching programme participants from its Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme (CIDS) and Player to Coach Scheme (PPCS).
These initiatives are focused on increasing representation from diverse backgrounds in coaching at both academy and senior levels.
The tour provided these coaches with invaluable experiences, working closely with the players while also engaging in interactive panel sessions with Soccer in the Streets’ coaches, exchanging insights and expertise.
"The premise of this tour was to bring high-quality academy graduates who are interested in what the US can provide, bring them over and play games against MLS clubs," said David Rainford, Head of Education & Academy Care at the Premier League.
"We're in the hub of Atlanta right now, the hub of civil rights and they are [also] educating themselves, just holistically developing themselves with a real key principle of what we are trying to."
"They knew what Martin Luther King has done for the black community," added Adi Yussuf, assistant manager Professional Development Phase (PDP) at Leicester City.
"That legacy is obviously all over the world."
