Four Premier League Stars, One Academy: Arabian Falcons FC Bets Big on Dubai's Next Generation With New Academy Launch

Arabian Falcons’ Back Room Staff: Jonjo Shelvey, Harry Agombar, Jason Puncheon, Danny Simpson

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, August 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Arabian Falcons FC has today launched Arabian Falcons Academy, opening the first genuine Premier League-standard pathway to professional football in the UAE - built to feed directly into the country's own ambitions for the sport.

Where most academies operate at arm's length from senior football, Arabian Falcons has built its academy directly into the same structure, culture and coaching philosophy as its first team - led by manager Jonjo Shelvey, player-coach Danny Simpson, captain Ravel Morrison, co-owner and Head of Football Operations Jason Puncheon, and Sporting Director Harry Agombar. From age six, every academy player will train under the same badge and standards as the first team pushing for promotion in the UAE Second Division - a route that has, until now, never existed in the region.

The Academy opens with a Free Trial Week from 24-28 August at JA Sports Complex, ahead of an official start on 1 September. Training runs Monday to Friday across two age bands - U6s to U11s and U12s to U16s - under dedicated coaches, with academy sides also competing in the Youth Football League every Sunday from their first weeks in the programme.

What sets the Academy apart is who is on the training pitch and in the boardroom. Shelvey made more than 250 Premier League appearances across Liverpool, Swansea City and Newcastle United, and won six England caps. Simpson, a Manchester United academy graduate, made over 300 professional appearances - 178 in the Premier League - and won the title with Leicester City's 5,000-1 2015/16 squad. Morrison, once rated by Sir Alex Ferguson above Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs as a United academy player, has played top-flight and senior football across four continents and won 20 caps for Jamaica. Puncheon built a Premier League career with Crystal Palace and Southampton, scoring in the 2016 FA Cup Final. Agombar, who oversees the Academy directly, came through Arsenal and Tottenham's academies before a playing career through Serbia, England and the US - making him, at 33, one of the youngest sporting directors in world football.

For parents in Dubai, the case is straightforward: nowhere else in the UAE can a six-year-old train under coaches who have genuinely lived the journey, inside a club growing by the month. The club's collaboration with Brooke House FC gives graduates a defined international route out, with UK trial windows and exposure in USL League Two in the US - taking UAE-developed players into world football, not just up through the domestic pyramid.

Jonjo Shelvey, Manager, said: "This academy is about giving kids in Dubai something that's never been available here before - a proper pathway, built on the same standards I've trained under my whole career. Every player who walks through the door will be coached the same way we coach the first team."

Jason Puncheon, Co-Owner and Head of Football Operations, said: "We didn't want to build an academy that just sits next to the first team - we wanted one that feeds it. This is a genuine pathway from six years old through to professional football, and families can trust the level is real."

Danny Simpson, Player-Coach, said: "Coming out of retirement to join this project was about helping build something for the next generation. I know what it takes to make it in the Premier League, and this academy gives young players in the UAE a real shot at that journey."

Ravel Morrison, Captain, said: "I was one of the most talked-about kids to ever come through the top academies in England, and my career has had as many lows as highs since. I want these players to learn from everything I've been through. If I can help even one of them reach their potential, this academy will have done its job."

Harry Agombar, Sporting Director, said: "I went through Arsenal and Tottenham's academies myself, then found my own way through professional football in Serbia, England and America. I know exactly what a young player needs because I've lived every version of it. Everything we've built exists so families in Dubai have a route their children can see and trust, all the way to the professional game."

The launch caps a summer of rapid growth for Arabian Falcons, following a full club rebrand and new badge, the extension of Morrison's contract, and Simpson's arrival as marquee summer signing. Based in Dubai, Arabian Falcons is a rising club under ambitious new ownership - transformed from a community-focused side into a serious football project chasing promotion to the UAE First Division, with a long-term ambition of continental competition and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup. A behind-the-scenes documentary will continue to follow the club this season.

The timing is deliberate. The UAE is pursuing its National Sports Strategy 2031, aiming to lift sports participation from 43 to 71 per cent of the population and build "a global identity for Emirati sport." Grassroots football sits at the heart of that ambition, with the UAE Football Association's own strategy built around national talent centres and grassroots programmes - work recognised with an AFC President's Gold Award in 2025. Arabian Falcons Academy adds a private-sector dimension to that push: a professionally run academy, coached to Premier League standards, inside a club with a growing international reputation.

Families interested in enrolling can register for the Free Trial Week now via Arabian Falcons Academy's official channels.

Academy Details:
Free Trial Week: 24th - 28th August, 5:00pm - 8:00pm, JA Sports Complex
Official Start: 1st September
Age Groups: U6s - U16s
Coaches: Dedicated coaches across all age groups
Fixtures: YFL Matches, National Pro League, Dofa

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