At the Premier League Youth Development Conference and Academy Awards Dinner at Wembley on Monday night, the centre-back’s incredible season was rewarded with the prestigious trophy.
After his debut season with the Under-18s in 2024/25, in which he made 10 appearances, Drake entered the new campaign trusted to be one of Oliver Reiss’ more senior players.
Drake featured in every league game – and almost every minute – en route to being crowned Under-18 Premier League North winners for a second successive term.
The 18-year-old also captained Oliver Reiss’ side for most of 2026, showcasing his leadership as well as his strength, ball-playing ability and defensive prowess all ever present attributes to his game.
Of City’s 19 wins from 26 games, Drake helped keep nine clean sheets to help us boast the best goal difference in the league with 57 compared to second-place United’s 41.
His reliability, ability to read play, versatility and determination to develop has also seen him become an integral member of City’s FA Youth Cup team that will be looking to beat Manchester United in the final.
Everyone at Manchester City would like to congratulate Leke on his award.
