The 2021–22 Professional U23 Development League was the tenth season of the Professional Development League system.
Nottingham Forest U23s and Birmingham City U23s both gained category one status. Manchester City U23s were the defending champions and successfully defend the title.[1] Leeds United U23s and Crystal Palace U23s were both promoted and Southampton U23s were relegated.
| Competition: | Premier League 2 |
| Season: | 2021-22 |
| League Topscorer: | James McAtee, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (18 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (21 February 2022) (29 April 2022) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (27 September 2021) |
| Highest Scoring: | (24 September 2021) (27 September 2021) (26 November 2021) (9 January 2022) (12 March 2022) (1 May 2022) |
| Matches: | 395 |
| Matches Footnote: | (392 RS, 3 PO) |
| Total Goals: | 1289 |
| Total Goals Footnote: | (1,283 RS, 6 PO) |
| Longest Wins: | 6 Matches Manchester City U23s |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 12 Matches Manchester City U23s |
| Longest Winless: | 13 Matches Derby County U23s |
| Longest Losses: | 6 Matches Derby County U23s |
| Highest Attendance: | 21,321 (22 April 2022) League Record |
| Lowest Attendance: | 31 (19 March 2022) |
| Nextseason: | 2022–23 |
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| Competition: | U23 Professional Development League |
| Season: | 2021–22 |
| League Topscorer: | Fabio Tavares (17 Goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (20 November 2021) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (24 August 2021) |
| Highest Scoring: | (1 September 2021) (18 October 2021) |
| Matches: | 203 |
| Matches Footnote: | (200 RS, 3 PO) |
| Total Goals: | 682 |
| Total Goals Footnote: | (667 RS, 15 PO) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 11 Matches Ipswich Town U23s |
| Longest Winless: | 7 Matches Sheffield Wednesday U23s Queens Park Rangers U23s |
| Nextseason: | 2022–23 |
The Professional Development League season is the tenth campaign of post-EPPP Under-23 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. A total of 17 teams are split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away and opponents in the other region once resulting in 23 games for the North Division, and 24 games for the South Division. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Birmingham City U23s are the defending national champions.
17 Teams competed in the league this season, a record low for the competition with 1 fewer team than last season. Birmingham City U23s[2], the defending national champions would leave the league after 9 seasons alongside Nottingham Forest U23s[3] to join the Premier League 2 as Category One Academies. Both founding members of the league left after 9 seasons. Peterborough United U23s joined as a Category Two Academy joining the North Division.[4]
Semi-finals----
Final