Aberdeen F.C. Reserves and Academy

As of 2019, the reserves do not have a constant home ground. Their fixtures are normally played at lower league stadia outwith Aberdeen, either at Glebe Park in Brechin, Balmoor Stadium in Peterhead or Station Park in Forfar – although occasionally matches are played at Pittodrie Stadium. In the 2018–19 season, their nominated ground was the recently completed Balmoral Stadium, home of Cove Rangers.[8]

In the event that the long-awaited New Aberdeen Stadium is completed, the youth training facilities would certainly move to that location and some of the Reserve League fixtures may also take place there.

Aberdeen's geographical isolation from much of Scotland's population is an advantage to the Dons' player recruitment to some extent, as they are the only major club in a region of over 500,000 people so generally have the pick of the promising youngsters in the city and shire. The relative economic power of the club also means that players from the Central Belt are frequently persuaded to move north, and over the decades many of Aberdeen's successful youth products (not least Willie Miller, McLeish, Black, Leighton, McMaster and later Joe Miller, Phil McGuire, Diamond and Chris Maguire) have moved from the west of Scotland to begin their professional careers.[9] In the 21st century Aberdeen have also looked further afield to the English lower leagues for academy recruits as well as senior players.

In 2017, the Aberdeen academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case.[10][11]

As of June 2023[12]

Reserves/Youths

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 25 GK  SCO Tom Ritchie 28 DF  SCO Jack Milne 29 DF  SCO Evan Towler 32 MF  SCO Findlay Marshall 34 MF  SCO Kevin Hanratty 36 FW  SCO Alfie Bavidge 40 GK  LVA Rodrigo Vitols 41 MF  SCO Alfie Stewart 46 DF  SCO Jamie Mercer 47 MF  SCO Dylan Lobban 48 FW  SCO Liam Harvey

No. Pos. Nation Player 49 MF  SCO Fletcher Boyd — DF  SCO Victor Enem — DF  NIR Brendan Hamilton — DF  SCO Blair MacKenzie — DF  SCO Finlay Murray — DF  SCO Kai Watson — MF  SCO Ellis Clark — FW  SCO Adam Emslie — FW  SCO Fraser Mackie — FW  SCO Aaron Reid — FW  SCO Cameron Wilson

Reserves

• SFL Division C (North-East)[1]
  • Winners: 1952–53, 1954–55
  • Runners-up: 1950–51, 1953–54
• Scottish Reserve League[lower-alpha 1][13]
  • Winners (4): 1955–56, 1972–73, 1981–82, 1986–87
• Scottish Football Alliance[13]
  • Winners: 1932–33, 1935–36
• Scottish Reserve League Cup[13]
  • Winners (9): 1950–51, 1951–52, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1996–97
• Scottish 2nd XI Cup[13]
  • Winners (6): 1954–55, 1955–56, 1968–69, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1981–82

Youth

• Scottish Youth Cup
  • Winners (3): 1985, 1986, 2001
  • Runners-up: 2003, 2018
• SPFL Development League[lower-alpha 2]
  • Winners: 1998–99, 2014–15
  • Runners-up: 1994–95, 2012–13
• SFL Youth League[lower-alpha 3]
  • Winners: 1993–94, 1997–98

This list focuses on the players who have graduated through Aberdeen's academy since the inception of the SPL in 1998. many other of Aberdeen's earlier notable players, including most of the highly successful Alex Ferguson era also came through the youth system. Players currently at Aberdeen in bold

• Under-20s at Aberdeen official website
• Academy overview at Aberdeen official website
• Squad including Under-20s at Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust
• Aberdeen U20 at Soccerway