Six new scholars will link up with City’s U18 squad ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The new intake will join up with the current group of second years for the upcoming Youth Alliance North campaign as they look to build on a positive end to the 2025/26 season.
Joint lead professional development phase coach Sam Tillen has given an insight into each of the new scholars and what they will bring to the academy programme.
Tariro Darikwa
Darikwa is a versatile left-sided defender with a willingness to get forward and strong ability to drive forward with the ball who joins us from Nottingham Forest.
Tillen said: “There’s a family connection with his half-brother being captain of the first team, Tariro is a left-sided defender who likes to get forward.
“He’s comfortable on the ball and has all the physical attributes we look for in this position.”
Fletcher Don-Duncan
A left-sided central defender, Fletcher Don-Duncan featured regularly for City's U18 side throughout the 2025/26 campaign and will begin his scholarship next season.
Tillen said: “Fletcher has done really well – he has a great mentality to learning and really wants to get better.
“He’s a left-sided centre half, capable of distributing the ball while also being good physically and he is someone we’re really hoping will benefit from the full-time Academy programme because he came to us from grassroots around a year ago.
“The trajectory he’s on has been rapid and having done very well in the U16 programme, he will really benefit from training every day.”
Leo Fifield
After spending the second-half of the campaign with City's U18 side and scoring a number goals, Leo Fifield will start a scholarship with the young Imps next season after leaving Coventry City.
Tillen said: “Leo has done extremely well: he’s managed to play a significant amount of the games for us post-Christmas and he’s scored more than a goal a game for the youth team.
“He has scored with all types of finishes, and we look forward to helping him develop his game, especially out of possession, as he’s been the big standout in terms of his performances over the last four or five months.”
Sam Male
A hard-working and clinical striker, Sam Male will link up with the young Imps ahead of their 2026/27 Youth Alliance campaign from West Brom.
Tillen said: “Sam works really hard, makes intelligent and unselfish runs and has shown that he is a good finisher. We also know there is plenty more to come from Sam physically, and he is another player who will benefit from a full-time structured training programme.”
Isaac Shaw
Isaac Shaw has been developing in City's Academy for three years and will now continue his journey as a first-year scholar in 2026/27.
Tillen said: “Isaac is a goalkeeper who has been with us for three years and is a massive personality, showing real leadership qualities, who carries himself extremely well.
“He’s developed really well, his improvement has been exponential in the last few months, and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch indicates that he will really thrive in a full-time environment. Isaac has already trained with David Preece in the first team environment, and he is the type of character who will get the most out of his scholarship."
Prem Sidhu
A technically gifted central player, Prem Sidhu starts a two-year scholarship with the Imps following a period on trial after leaving Nottingham Forest.
Tillen said: “Prem likes to get on the ball to make things happen and he is capable of playing a deeper role in midfield as well as a little bit more advanced because of his vision and technical atrributes.
“Since he has joined us, he has realised the out of possession work is just as important as in-possession, which is the pre-requisite at this club and he will develop as a player because of it.”