Blackburn Rovers F.C. Academy and Under-23s are the youth teams of Blackburn Rovers. The Blackburn Rovers Academy holds Category One status. The current manager of the Under 23's side is Billy Barr, who was appointed following Damien Johnson's promotion to First Team Technical Football Director. Billy Barr has managed several youth sides at Blackburn, including most recently the Under 18's, and many of the players now playing under him at 23's level have played for him for many years. The team play in the Premier League 2 Division 1, after gaining promotion from the Premier League 2 Division 2 in the 2017/18 season.