Aston Villa F.C. Under-23s and Academy

Aston Villa Under-23
Full name	Aston Villa Football Club Under-23s & Academy
Nickname(s)	Villans, The Villa, The Lions, The Claret & Blue Army
Short name	Villa, AVFC
Founded	21 November 1874
Ground	Villa Park (Capacity: 42,785)
Owner	Nassef Sawiris Wesley Edens
Chairman	Nassef Sawiris
Manager	Mark Delaney
Current League	Premier League 2 (Division 2)
2018–19	Premier League 2 (Division 2),  5th, (Play-off semi-finalists)
Website	Club home page

The Aston Villa Under-23, also known as Aston Villa Under-21 and Aston Villa Reserves, are the most senior youth development team of Aston Villa and compete in Premier League 2 (Division 2) of the Professional Development League and the EFL Trophy in the 2019–20 season. The team were originally part of the FA Premier Reserve League since its foundation in 1999 and were winners of the 2011-12 Premier Reserve League South title, the last in that format. The team plays its home games at Aston Villa's training ground, Bodymoor Heath and occasionally Villa Park. Aston Villa also have an academy side that competes in the Under-18 division of the Professional Development League and the FA Youth Cup annually. From 2019, having been promoted back to the Premier League, Aston Villa also field an under-21 side in the EFL Trophy against League One and League Two opposition.

The side has been successful in recent years, as well as becoming national champions in the 2003–04 and 2009–10 seasons, the team also clinched four out of five Southern Championships between 2007 and 2012, before the format changed to the Professional Development League. The side also won the NextGen Series in 2013, a Europe-wide tournament for elite academies.

Current first-team players Keinan Davis, Andre Green and Jack Grealish all came through the youth system at the club, as well as former players Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ciaran Clark, Gary Cahill, Gareth Barry, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Darius Vassell, Craig Gardner, Marc Albrighton, Andreas Weimann and Steven Davis amongst many others. The Villa academy also developed former England striker Daniel Sturridge and Birmingham City midfielder Daniel Crowley. The U23 team is primarily made up of players under the age of 23, although three over-age outfield players and an over-age goalkeeper may be named in a matchday squad. These may include fringe first-team players and first-team players recovering from injury.