Akeel Higgins, a twenty-year-old winger from West Bromwich Albion, joined Exeter City on loan in September 2025. Prior to arriving at St James’ Park he had made a solitary first-team appearance for his parent club. His first goal for City came in a win over Plymouth Argyle.

Birmingham-born Akeel became a trainee/scholar with West Bromwich Albion on leaving school in 2001 and signed his first professional contract at the age of eighteen in July 2023. He subsequently made his first-team debut in an FA Cup tie against Aldershot Town in January 2024. Not featuring again over the following season-and-a-half, he joined Exeter City on a planned season-long loan on transfer deadline day at the start of September 2025.   

Quickly featuring for his new club, Akeel made his Exeter debut as a substitute at Rotherham United a few days after his arrival. His first league start came against Reading in mid-October and his first league goal followed two weeks later when he scored the second in the 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle. Thereafter featuring more regularly, he scored in the FA Cup against Wycombe Wanderers in December 2025 before making a second-half substitute appearance in the same competition against Manchester City as the Grecians suffered a 10-1 defeat.