Development Academy home pitch at sunset
Folkestone, United Kingdom

Developing Players. Inspiring People. Building the Future of Football.

I'm Connor MacDonald, a professional football coach with over a decade of experience across the UK and USA. Welcome to Development Academy: a player-first academy starting here in Folkestone, built to grow into a nationwide pathway for young footballers.

Connor MacDonald on the training pitch connor-decade.jpg
8 Players produced for professional academies
From Cambridge, UK to Austin, Texas to IMG Academy, Florida

A decade of youth coaching. Two countries. One mission.

After progressing through the academy at Cambridge United as a player, Connor moved into coaching, leading competitive teams in Austin, Texas and taking a young IMG Academy side in Florida to a historic MLS NEXT Cup National Final, producing eight players who went on to professional academies.

Now back in the UK, that experience is the foundation for Development Academy.

Read Connor's Full Story →
10+ Years Coaching Across the UK & USA
1,000+ Youth Players Coached
1st Team in IMG Academy History to Reach the MLS NEXT Cup National Final
USSF B Professionally Qualified Coach
Where to start

Three ways to get to know Development Academy

On the pitch

The academy in pictures

Across the years Connor has coached players from a wide range of age groups and from countries all over the world. Bringing together so many different cultures, backgrounds and playing styles in one squad is exactly what makes developing young footballers so rewarding.

Two Development Academy players celebrating a win
A young player sprinting away in celebration after scoring
Two team-mates high-fiving on the pitch
The squad huddled together before kick-off
A young player at the corner flag on match day
A player taking a quiet moment on the pitch
This is only the beginning

Let's talk about what's next.

If you'd like to connect or discuss opportunities to work together, I'd love to hear from you.