York City are delighted to announce the latest group of academy scholars to sign apprenticeships with the club.
With the academy now operating under an EFL Category Four licence, the U18s will compete in the EFL Youth Alliance North East division for the 2026/27 season.
A total of sixteen scholars have put pen to paper with the Minstermen: Campbell White, Lewis Beadle, Michael Kydd, DJ Penrose, Isaac Swansbury, Josh Binns, Elvis Hall, Oscar Woolford, Ollie Belleh, Lucas Russell, Luka Ozisik, Tom Hewson, Jack Turner, Charlie Webster, Sutton Greening, and Blake Appleyard.
Campbell White – Goalkeeper
Campbell has risen through the youth groups at York City, and was part of the U16s that lifted the North Riding Cup two seasons ago. He was a regular training ‘keeper for the first-team in pre-season.
Lewis Beadle – Defender
Lewis has also been a constant in the academy, moving up to U19 level last season and becoming a regular starter at left-back for Tim Ryan’s side. Notably netted a free-kick away at Hartlepool last term.
Michael Kydd – Defender
An aggressive full-back who naturally plays on the right, Michael has been in and around the Minstermen’s academy set-up from a young age, also playing for York & District Schoolboys during that time. Scored a brace in our FA Youth Cup win over Boro Rangers last season. Represents Northern Ireland at youth level too.
DJ Penrose – Defender
DJ is a local player, who has featured for Tekkers York and Hamilton Panthers in junior football. He is versatile in defence, offering cover at both centre-back and left-back, and enters his first season at U18 level.
Isaac Swansbury – Defender
A recent addition to York City, Isaac is a tough-tackling, ball-playing centre-half who spent time in the Sunderland AFC Academy, before joining us last season as an U16.
Josh Binns – Defender
Josh can play as a full-back, but over the course of last season, has been playing higher up as a wing-back, and contributing assists and goals. He is another player who has risen through the ranks in the City academy.
Elvis Hall – Defender
Elvis started his football journey in the north, and was part of City’s academy at a young age, before later making the switch to Aldershot Town for a brief spell in their ranks. The solid centre-back rejoined the Minstermen in February 2026 during our National League U19 Alliance North season.
Oscar Woolford – Defender
A wing-back, Oscar recently joined the Minstermen’s academy set-up following a number of years at Leeds United, and possesses bags of pace and ability down the flanks.
Ollie Belleh – Midfielder
Ollie is a midfielder who has been within the York City ranks for a number of years and has captained almost every age group. The skipper entered his first season at U19 level in 2025/26, having also been given some minutes towards the end of the previous campaign. He has been successful in different age groups over the years, most recently with the U16s – a North Riding Cup final victory to clinch silverware.
Lucas Russell – Midfielder
Lucas was part of the North Riding U16 Cup success, and impressed at U19 level last season. The tidy midfielder was an almost ever-present, and scored his only two goals in the last two games of the campaign.
Luka Ozisik – Midfielder
An attacking midfielder, Luka played a starring role for the U16s last season, and earned a call-up to the U18s for our FA Youth Cup tie against Bradford Park Avenue, taking a spot on the bench. He has already been on the scoresheet in pre-season, and will be an exciting talent to watch in the coming campaign.
Blake Appleyard – Midfielder
Blake pens his York City scholarship after a spell with the U16s last year – hailing from the North East, the midfielder has played for junior clubs including Marton, and also represented Redcar & Cleveland District.
Jack Turner – Midfielder
Jack is an attacking midfielder who signs his first scholarship with the club, and previously graduated from the Improtech Soccer Future Pro Academy.
Tom Hewson – Forward
Tom is naturally a number nine, and had a great first season with the U19s, scoring nine goals, including some crucial strikes in the FA Youth Cup. He also led the U16s to County Cup glory in 2025, netting both goals in the final. A player who loves sniffing out chances in and around the box, Tom has enjoyed a good pre-season campaign and will be raring to go for 2026/27.
Charlie Webster – Forward
Charlie plays as a striker and has risen through the youth ranks with the Minstermen, now signing a two-year scholarship with the club.
Sutton Greening – Forward
Sutton usually takes up the number ten role, and scored 18 times in all competitions last season, making him the young Minstermen’s top scorer for 2025/26. A stand-out moment was a first-half hat-trick in our Youth Cup opener, before going on to score the academy’s first goal at the LNER Community Stadium in the Second Round. Sutton is also known as a set-piece specialist.
