Eight Teenagers Join Aberdeen's Academy Ranks in the Club's Class of 2026

Aberdeen FC have confirmed eight academy graduates are stepping up ahead of the new season, with four - Andrew Fasanya, Joel Okhuoya, Heath Duncan, and Max Pocklington - signing full professional contracts, while goalkeeper Conlan Waldron, defenders James Jarvie and Jay Henderson, and forward JJ Hulse join on part-time terms. Fasanya's rise is especially striking: he made his Under-18 debut at just 13 years old and can play centrally or out wide, while Pocklington progressed through Aberdeen's Pre-Academy and the Scottish FA Performance School before earning a Scotland youth cap. For young players in Scotland and beyond, this Class of 2026 shows there is more than one route onto a first-team pathway. Not every talented teenager gets a full professional deal at 16 or 17 - some are given part-time terms to keep developing physically and technically while staying in education, which is just as valid a route to the top. What stands out about several of these players is how early their journeys started, moving through Pre-Academy programs years before signing anything formal. It is a reminder that development is a long game built on small, consistent steps, not a single breakthrough moment. Aberdeen's approach - blending full-time professional deals with part-time development contracts - is becoming more common across academies looking to widen their net without rushing young players into decisions they are not ready for. It is a model worth watching for any parent or player trying to understand how modern academy pathways actually work. Source: Aberdeen FC (https://www.afc.co.uk/en/news/afc-youth-academy-class-of-2026)