Developing young players has always been one of the most satisfying parts of Football Manager, and that’s no different in Football Manager 26. Youth development is not something you should be automating or leaving to other coaches on your staff — it’s a process you have to handle yourself, should you wish to get the most out of it. If you want your promising 16-year-olds to turn into first-team stars by 21, you’ll need a plan and some patience.
Here are the core principles behind developing elite talent in Football Manager 26.
Start With Targeted Recruitment
Great development starts on Day 1, before the players even arrive for preseason. When scouting youth intakes, trials, free agents, or academy products, look at three things:
- Personality: Driven, Model Citizen, Professional, and Resolute are gold. Unambitious and Casual are massive red flags.
- Determination: This matters just as much as potential ability. Determined kids grow faster.
- Versatility and Role Fit: Don’t just sign ability — sign someone who can fit your tactical system in two or three positions.
Once they’re in the building, view your youth team to see where they stand relative to your current squad. If a player is training with the U18s and is already top three in his position, promote them immediately.
Master Training Units And Individual Focus
FM26‘s player development is driven heavily by training units. If you want real growth:
- Put young players into the first-team training unit whenever possible.
- Ensure there is competition — if your 17-year-old is the 6th-best CM in the unit, he will learn faster than dominating the U19s against weaker teammates.
Pair that with individual training:
- Give every youngster a role focus — not just a position — for both in possession and out of possesion
- Add a trait focus only when attributes and workload allow — some players struggle if pushed too fast.
- Use Additional Focus wisely. Acceleration, Passing, Tackling, and Composure are high-impact upgrades.
If a player’s development stalls for two months, adjust intensity, move them to a different unit, or give them minutes. Also, ensure that your training facilities are as good as your club can afford. Because if they’re not, development will be too slow.
Minutes Matter, But Only The Right Minutes
Young players don’t need just any minutes, but meaningful minutes. Here are some ways to ensure they get them:
- 10–20 sub appearances in the first team are worth more than dominating a youth league. If you’re steamrolling through a team, give a promising youth player 20 or more minutes.
- Cup matches and mid-table fixtures are perfect testing grounds.
- If you can’t guarantee appearances, a short-term loan can bridge the gap. If you’ve purchased a young player, try your best to loan them to another domestic club for Homegrown purposes.
When loaning players out, always check:
- Squad status (Important Player or Regular Starter)
- Preferred role and formation
- League competitiveness vs your player’s ability
And if your player isn’t getting the minutes needed (or playing in the right role), recall them during a transfer window and either find a different club or keep them in your setup.
Mentoring Is Important
Mentoring groups are always impactful and should be used as follows:
- Group youngsters with 1-2 determined senior pros.
- Avoid mixing conflicting personalities — Unambitious or Low Determination players can drag others down.
- Rotate groups every few months so players are exposed to different role models.
If a player’s Determination jumps by +3 or +4 in one season, you’ve already changed their ceiling.
Track Your Players’ Development
You can’t just “set and forget.” Every month:
- Check progress arrows in the Development Hub
- Monitor match ratings
- Look for training concerns and unhappiness
- Adjust workload to avoid injury
FM26’s feedback system is blunt — if a player isn’t happy with training, they will regress. If morale drops, don’t be afraid to give a start, promise minutes, or loan them out.
Developing talent in Football Manager is about structure: targeted recruitment, smart training units, consistent first-team exposure, and attentive mentoring. When you combine all four, you’ve created as good an environment as possible for fostering development. And should everything go according to plan, you’ll see players jump two or three attribute points per season. By age 20, they’ll be pushing into the matchday squad.
Treat your academy like part of your first team, not an afterthought. Do that, and Football Manager 26 will reward you with homegrown superstars and transfer-proof squad building — because nothing beats watching a 16-year-old wonderkid you either cultivated through your academy or bought for cheap become a club legend five seasons later.
