MSJ International Football Academy delivers an elite football and education model in one of England’s most historic and talent rich football regions.
Based in the West Midlands, the academy provides outstanding access to professional football environments while remaining connected to London, Manchester and Liverpool.
This strategic location creates exceptional opportunities for player development, exposure and progression within the English football system.
The international academy has a proven track record of producing professional football players, while also maintaining consistently high academic standards.
The school is recognised for its strong pastoral care, values led ethos and commitment to developing well rounded, ambitious young people.
A Prime Football Location
The academy is ideally positioned with excellent transport links and close proximity to professional clubs and high performance football environments. Players benefit from access to major West Midlands clubs including Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City.
A mainline train station is located directly outside the school entrance, offering direct services to both Birmingham and London with no changes required. This provides exceptional ease of travel for fixtures, trials, airport connections and family visits.
The academy’s central location also enables regular travel to compete against elite academies in the Manchester and Liverpool regions, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
Why Choose Us?
Academically, Malvern St James is recognised for having one of the strongest value added academic profiles in the country, meaning pupils frequently achieve one grade higher than their predicted grades.
This reflects the school’s ability to support individual progress and maximise each student’s academic potential alongside their football development.
The academy programme is designed to support players preparing for football trials in England and across the UK, while ensuring academic progression remains central to every pupil’s journey.
Facilities
The academy is supported by exceptional 360 degree infrastructure, delivering a high performance environment aligned with elite football development standards.
Facilities include:
• Two full size, well maintained grass pitches
• A newly built, full size floodlit 3G pitch
• An indoor futsal hall
• A modern strength and conditioning centre
• An indoor swimming pool
This environment allows players to train, recover and perform at the highest level throughout the academic year through structured football training, one to one coaching and elite performance programmes.
Meet the Team
Luke Astley
Director of Football
Luke is a former youth player with Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion. A UEFA A Licence coach, he has worked as Academy Manager at Kidderminster Harriers and as an FA Coach Developer. Luke brings deep expertise in player development and education, with experience from category 1 Premier League Professional Academies.
Brett Morris
Director of Sport Science
Brett holds a First-Class BSc inSport and Exercise Science and an MRes in Sport and Exercise. He has over seven years’ experience working with professional players from grassroots to senior professionals. Brett was formerly part of the sport science team at Wolverhampton Wanderers, a category 1 Premier League Academy.
Global Development Pathway
MSJ International Football Academy delivers a globally focused football and education pathway, supporting progression into professional academies, universities and structured football scouting networks.
Pupils benefit from high level coaching, personalised development planning and comprehensive academic support.
The programme prepares players to pursue football at the highest possible level while developing the character, academic foundation and life skills required for long term success beyond the game.
Register here and start your journey today.
Academy and School Fees
You can view the MSJ school fees and additional costs here.