Leeds United Under-21s are due to compete in a 25-team Premier League 2 top tier competition next season, following changes to the league structure. That’s according to Youth Hawk, via Training Ground Guru, who claim Premier League clubs have voted to implement a Swiss-style league format at youth level.
The Whites enjoyed huge success last season at U21 level as they bounced back from relegation to win promotion from Division 2 through the play-offs. However, while the promotion was clearly an impressive achievement, the league structure changes mean every other second tier team will also be stepping up to create one large division.
According to the report, starting from the start of next season, all 25 teams with category one academies will be thrown together in one league. Teams will be seeded, with previous performances set to dictate fixtures over the course of a 20-game season, rather than just a straight round robin, before a 16-team knockout competition will determine the winner of the competition.
