SOCCER ACADEMY

Queen's growing Soccer Academy is the ideal place for players on the cusp of a professional career, but who want to gain world-class academic qualifications while continuing their sporting development. With the men's side now competing in the Playr-Fit Championship for the 2025/26 season, the U21 side continuing to go from strength to strength and the ladies team getting stronger every year with record breaking numbers, it is the perfect time to join the Queen's Soccer Academy.

    • Must be a current student, Graduates do not qualify.

    • Must play for Queen’s on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

    • Should be a regular member of the first team or, if new to the club, should be considered to be likely to become a regular member of the first team squad in the near future.

    • Must accept the conditions of Academy membership as defined in the Academy Contract document.

  • Tier 2

    • A full season in the last three years as a starting NIFL Championship player or equivalent, and

    • Irish Universities representation or equivalent

    • An exceptional school leaver with outstanding potential may be considered, based on appropriate references

    Tier 1

    • International representation at U17 and above (not including schoolboys)

    • A full season in the last three years as a starting NIFL Premier League player or equivalent

  • adam.calvert@qub.ac.uk

  • James Lavery - Men's Head Coach

    James has been associated with elite football performance for over 20 years, having represented Northern Ireland at Junior level, James moved to the USA to play and coach for several years before returning home to Northern Ireland to play in the Irish Premier League. Arriving at Queen’s University Football Club in 2009, James captained the team for six years before moving on to the coaching team as assistant manager and serving as Head Coach of Men’s Soccer from 2022.  

    James has played a central role at Queen’s for over a decade, developing academy talent and building a high-performance culture rooted in professionalism, resilience, and personal development. After coaching Queen’s to Intermediate Cup success and the NIFL PIL league title in 2018, gaining promotion to senior football for the first time in the club’s history, the club secured a second promotion to the NIFL Championship in 2025 under James’ leadership.

    Being at the helm of the most successful student football environment in the country, James is committed to developing players, preparing them for success in football and beyond.

  • Adam Calvert - Soccer Development Officer

    Adam has been Queen’s Soccer Development Officer since 2022, working to enhance the soccer provision for all student-athletes and supporting the continued growth and development of both the men’s and ladies’ programmes. A former Queen’s player with experience across the three NIFL leagues, Adam was part of the Queen’s squad that secured promotion to the Championship in 2018. Alongside his role at Queen’s, he has coached at the Liverpool Development Centre for the past 12 years, bringing a wealth of experience in player development to both his mentoring and leadership roles.

  • Andrew Boyd - Ladie's Head Coach

    Andrew has been the Head Coach of Queen’s University Ladies Soccer programme since 2023.  A Uefa qualified coach, he brings extensive experience in building high-performing environments. Under his leadership, the women’s team enjoyed an undefeated season in 2024–25, earning promotion to the WCSAI Premier Division, where they will compete for the first time in the University's history. The team also won the Varsity Cup as well as reaching the final of The O'Regan Cup. He has also established the Reserve team over the last 2 years at the University leading them to the League Final in the 2024/25 season, in their first season in the league.

    Prior to joining Queens University Andrew established the Women’s team for Shorts FC where he spent 5 years as Manager and The Head of Women’s Football. After leaving Shorts Andrew took up the role of Assistant Manager at Linfield Women Swifts where he spent 1 year just missing out on the League Title on the last day of the season. He currently combines his role at Queens University with his role as Assistant Coach at Lisburn Ladies in The NIFL Women’s Premiership.

    With his coaching experience he continues to look to inspire and develop student-athletes both on and off the pitch.

Support Services

The Sports Development Team at Queen’s Sport will be coordinating the support structure for all scholarship recipients and aim to make this achievement as beneficial as possible. This award entitles you to a number of benefits, which are coordinated by the Head Coach and Soccer Development Officer. You will be required to follow the training programme maintain the Academy performance standards as set out by the Head Coach. 

  • Personal and specific athletic development programmes throughout the season 

  • Academic flexibility  

  • Lifestyle and time management mentoring 

  • Physiotherapy and sports medicine support on a needs analysis through Kingsbridge

  • All-inclusive membership to all indoor and outdoor sports facilities at Queen’s Sport 

  • Bespoke training and leisure clothing 

  • Degree Plus accreditation (route A) upon full completion of Academy programme 

Our Athletes

Niamh O’Donnell

Business Economics

Niamh has represented Northern Ireland at development, U17 and U19 level, and currently plays in the NI Premiership for Lisburn Rangers. During her time at Queen’s, she has played a key role in the 1st XI football team’s league-winning season and was named Player of the Match in the cup final, where the team narrowly missed out on a double. Niamh is entering her second year of a Business Economics degree, balancing her academic studies alongside competing at the highest level of domestic football in Northern Ireland.

Jack Ovens

Business Management

Jack has represented Northern Ireland at underage level and made his Irish League debut at just 17, before signing his first professional contract a year later. During his time with Queen’s, he has played a key role in the club’s promotion to the Championship, scoring in the decisive playoff match. Alongside his football career, Jack recently completed a placement with Deloitte, one of the world’s leading financial services firms, and is currently studying for a degree in Business Management, aiming to graduate with First Class Honours.