Highlights

• The Football Manager series has had both successful predictions and misses when it comes to identifying future football stars.
• Many of the "wonderkid" players listed in Football Manager 2011 did not reach their full potential in real life.
• Some notable players who lived up to their potential include David de Gea, César Azpilicueta, Toni Kroos, Neymar, and Son Heung-min.

The Football Manager (previously known as Championship Manager) series has been hit and miss when it comes to predicting the stars of tomorrow.

There have been times when the game’s creators have got it bang on. The likes of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Cesc Fabregas first came to the attention of many football fans thanks to the hugely-popular video game.

But it’s the ones they got wrong which people like to talk about most. Freddy Adu, Cherno Samba and Kerlon were just three of the many ‘wonderkids’ who failed to live up to the hype in real life.

A list of the 33 wonderkids who featured on Football Manager 2011, which was released in October 2010, was posted on Reddit.

But did all of those players manage to fulfil their potential?

GOALKEEPERS

Alphonse Aréola (Age 17)

Capped several times by France, Alphonse Aréola joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 but spent most of the next nine years out on loan before joining West Ham permanently in 2022.

David de Gea (Age 19)

Arguably one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, it’s fair to say David de Gea fulfilled his potential at Manchester United.

That said, the Spaniard's form declined during his final few seasons at Old Trafford, and he was eventually replaced by Andre Onana.

DEFENDERS

Phil Jones (Age 18)

"Jones, arguably the way he is looking, could be our best ever player. I think Jones may be one of the best players we have ever had, not matter where we play him.”

We can’t mention Phil Jones without bringing up Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous comment from 2013.

Fergie is the only person who rated Jones even higher than Football Manager.

The former Blackburn Rovers starlet eventually left Man Utd after 12(!) years this summer.

Sebastián Coates (Age 19)

Signed by Liverpool in 2011, highly-rated defender Sebastián Coates struggled at Anfield before moving to Sunderland on a permanent deal four years later. The Uruguayan, now 32, has been at Sporting Lisbon since 2017.

Mateo Musacchio (Age 19)

Mateo Musacchio, capped six times by Argentina, joined AC Milan in 2017 after bringing an end to his eight-year stint with Villarreal.

The South American spent four years with the Rossoneri before signing for Lazio in 2021.

Mamadou Sakho (Age 20)

The French centre-back left PSG for Liverpool in 2013 before moving on to Crystal Palace four years later. The 33-year-old then returned to France with Montpellier in 2021.

Serhiy Kryvtsov (Age 19)

Not a household name of European football, but Serhiy Kryvtsov has still enjoyed a decent career with Shakhtar Donetsk and Ukraine.

The 32-year-old is now one of Lionel Messi's teammates at Inter Miami.

Danny Wilson (Age 18)

Signed for Liverpool from Rangers in 2010, Danny Wilson failed to make the grade at Anfield and now plays for Colorado Rapids in MLS.

César Azpilicueta (Age 20)

César Azpilicueta soon established himself as one of Chelsea’s key players after joining the Blues from Marseille in 2012. The Spaniard became the club's permanent captain in 2019 and said an emotional farewell this summer after agreeing to join Atletico Madrid.

A good prediction from Football Manager, this.

Davide Santon (Age 19)

The Italian left-back failed to make a huge impact at Newcastle United but still managed to seal a move to Inter Milan in 2015.

He then moved to AS Roma in 2018 before sadly announcing his retirement in September 2022, aged just 31.

"I am forced to hang up my boots. It’s not that I don’t have offers, but my body just can’t handle it anymore after so many injuries," he told reporters at the time. "I am forced to do this. I didn’t want to, but I have to."

MIDFIELDERS

Aaron Ramsey (Age 19)

Aaron Ramsey made 369 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 64 goals, before completing a surprise move to Juventus in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out for the Welshman in Italy. He subsequently moved to French side Nice in 2022, following a brief spell with Rangers, before completing a return to boyhood club Cardiff City this summer.

Philippe Coutinho (Age 18)

Philippe Coutinho failed to impress at Inter but cemented his status as a world-class playmaker at Liverpool before completing a £142 million move to Barcelona in January 2018.

The 31-year-old Brazilian won the Champions League in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich and then completed a surprise switch to Aston Villa in 2022.

Moussa Sissoko (Age 20)

At Toulouse when FM 2011 was released, Moussa Sissoko moved to Newcastle United in 2013 before sealing a switch to Tottenham in 2016.

The midfielder was capped 71 times by France, scoring two goals, between 2009-2021.

He now plays for Nantes after a stint at Watford.

Christian Eriksen (Age 18)

Christian Eriksen left Ajax for Tottenham in 2013 and became one of the Premier League’s best playmakers. He then fancied a new challenge in January 2020 and moved to Inter Milan, but that transfer didn't quite work out for the Dane.

The classy midfielder almost lost his life during Euro 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch, but made an astonishing recovery and returned to professional football with Brentford in 2022.

After proving that he was still capable of producing top performances in the Premier League, Manchester United duly snapped him up.

Gareth Bale (Age 20)

It was already patently clear that Gareth Bale was a special talent by 2010. The Welshman went on to help Real Madrid win a remarkable five Champions League titles, producing countless magical moments in the process.

His love for football waned towards the end of his career, though, and he eventually left Los Blancos under a cloud in 2022.

The former Tottenham star, who spent time at Los Angeles FC towards the end of his illustrious career, announced his retirement shortly after the 2022 World Cup.

Miralem Pjanic (Age 20)

The classy central midfielder joined AS Roma in 2011 before moving to Juventus in 2016. The Bosnia and Herzegovina then joined Barcelona in 2020 but surprisingly struggled at Camp Nou.

The 33-year-old currently plies his trade with Sharjah FC in the UAE Pro League.

Sergio Canales (Age 19)

Sergio Canales looked the real deal when he first broke into Real Madrid’s first team, but the attacking midfielder hasn’t quite managed to live up to the hype.

Now 32, the Spain international has just left his home country for the first time in his career, signing a three-year contract with Mexican side Monterrey.