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The 33 players in this retrospective were a community-selected group of under-21 prospects from Football Manager 2011—not an official Sports Interactive ranking or a complete list of the game’s wonderkids. The original “where are they now?” feature was published in November 2020, so its “now” means 2020, not October 2026. [Planet Football, 11 November 2020]
What this FM 2011 wonderkid list represents
The list began as a Reddit community post that grouped 33 players by position. Its author’s account is now deleted, and the post does not make the selection an official Sports Interactive ranking. It is a retrospective set of notable prospects, not every wonderkid available in Football Manager 2011. [Original Reddit post]
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Football Manager 2011 (PC) | $12.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Football Manager 2011 | $19.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Football manager 2011 | $26.46 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Football Manager 2014 | $7.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Eleven: Football Manager Board Game | $32.95 | Buy on Amazon |
“Wonderkid” is a game-database label, not a prediction that a teenager will become a real-world star. FM Scout’s guide for version 11.1 described wonderkids as players up to age 20 with “amazing potential ability and great or decent current ability.” That is FM Scout’s explanation, not an official Sports Interactive definition. [FM Scout’s 11.1 guide, 17 March 2011]
The ages attached to the names are from the game-era list; they are not current ages. The original Planet Football retrospective was published on 11 November 2020 and looked back on the players’ progress to that point. [Planet Football, 11 November 2020] The available sources do not establish all 33 players’ clubs or career status in October 2026, so this article does not present the 2020 snapshot as current.
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- Football Manager 2011 PC
The 33 players, by position
These are the names in the community post, organized by the roles it used. [Original Reddit post]
Goalkeepers
- Alphonse Aréola
- David De Gea
Defenders
- Phil Jones
- Sebastián Coates
- Mateo Musacchio
- Mamadou Sakho
- Serhiy Kryvtsov
- Danny Wilson
- César Azpilicueta
- Davide Santon
Midfielders
- Aaron Ramsey
- Coutinho
- Moussa Sissoko
- Christian Eriksen
- Gareth Bale
- Miralem Pjanić
- Sergio Canales
- Douglas Costa
- James Rodríguez
- Jack Wilshere
- Eden Hazard
- Stevan Jovetić
- Toni Kroos
- David Alaba
- Georginio Wijnaldum
Forwards
- Neymar
- Romelu Lukaku
- Pato
- Yaya Sanogo
- Thomas Müller
- André Schürrle
- Mario Balotelli
- Son Heung-Min
How to read the careers behind the names
The list invites a simple question: who lived up to the billing? But a single hit-or-miss verdict obscures what a football career can involve. Some names became globally recognizable stars; others had more uneven paths. A fair comparison would distinguish peak achievement from longevity and from careers shaped by interrupted or inconsistent development.
Rank #2
- Match Preparation allows you to train your team in specific areas for each match, including tactics and set pieces.
- Show the world your success by publishing your achievements in the new Manager's Room and on social networks.
- Live contract talks bring negotiations to life. Deal with different types of players and agents, to wrap up the best deals or beat others to signings.
- The most intuitive training in Football Manager ever allows you to focus on individual training with a single instruction in 14 areas.
- Enhanced match experience, including new graphics, new stadiums, new lighting, more player celebrations, on pitch emotions and over 100 new animations.
The available sources do not provide a consistent statistical dataset for scoring all 33 against one another, so there is no defensible success rate or complete ranking here. The Reddit discussion includes opinions about particular players and their outcomes, but those comments are reader reactions, not measured evidence. The sound conclusion is narrower: the game captured a set of exciting young prospects, while their real careers diverged in ways that potential ratings alone could not settle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Football Manager 2011 in context
Football Manager 2011 was developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game’s release history lists Windows and Mac OS X and PSP versions in November 2010, followed by an iOS version in December 2010. [Football Manager 2011 overview] Those historical release details do not establish whether a particular copy is available now or will run on a modern device; check the platform and compatibility before buying a used copy.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- An advanced strategy board game for 1 to 4 players.
- Become the manager of a soccer club and lead it to victory.
- A Multi-layered business simulation in the world of sport.
- Acquire and train players, hire doctors, trainers, and other sports professionals then develop your stadium, attract sponsors, and play matches against other teams.
- Several paths to victory.
Rank #4
- Football Manager 2014 PC & Mac. *English game play, on disc manual included English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish* Printed manual in French. Includes ONE user activation code. BRAND NEW Factory Sealed DVD Box by Sega UK for worldwide use. Ship daily via USPS 1ST CLASS(4 - 7 Business days)w/FREE delivery confirmation & Shipment Notification. Platform: Windows XP/Vista/7/8. MAC OS X 10.6.8. PEGI: 3. System Requirements: OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core, AMD Athlon, Graphics: NVidia GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, ATI Radeon 9800, Intel GMA X3100, 128MB VRAM, Direct X 9.0c compliant Memory: 1GB RAM, 3GB HDD. For Mac: Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7, 10.8 Processor: Intel Core, 1.8GHz+. Graphics: NVidia GeForce 7300 GT, ATI Radeon X1600, Intel GMA X3100, 128MB VRAM, OpenGL 2.0 compliant. Memory: 1GB RAM, 3GB HDD Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Linux Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core, AMD Athlon, 1.8GHz+. Graphics: NVidia GeForce 7300 GT, AMD Radeon HD 2400 Pro, Intel HD 3000/4000, 128MB VRAM, OpenGL 2.0 compliant Memory: 1GB RAM, 3GB HDD. Earlier cards or laptop chipsets may only display the match in 2D and are not supported. Online play requires broadband connection. Note: Computers with high-performance hardware will provide the best game performance. Requires Internet Connection and free STEAM account to activate. NOTICE: Product offered subject to your acceptance of the Steam Subscriber Agreement ("SSA"). You must activate this product via the internet by registering for a Steam account and accepting the SSA. Please see steampowered agreement from their web site to view the SSA prior to purchase. If you do not agree with the provisions of the SSA, you should return this game unopened to your retailer in accordance with their return policy. Please check software compatibility before purchased. NO OPENED BOX RETURN(Please read Amazon Software/Video game's return policy)
- The best-selling, incredibly realistic football management drives on with over 1,000 improvements and enhancements in Football Manager 2014. The 3D match engine has seen extensive improvements, including enhanced AI, improved lighting and player animation, individual player character and kit models, more realistic player reaction to on-field incidents and a range of optimisations which combine to make this the best looking and fastest FM Match Engine yet. On the pitch, redesigned tactics management makes the player roles and team strategies even more prominent. Improvements to rival managers’ AI allow them to adapt their tactics more readily over time.
- FM 2014 features a revamped transfer module where opposing clubs and managers adopt a more realistic approach when making or responding to transfer offers. In addition, a number of new ‘real world’ transfer clauses have been added, such as the facility to loan a player back to the club he’s just been bought from and the option to offer a combination of cash and loan players, as well as new contract clauses such as a sub bench appearance fee. On top of this, the old ‘turn-based’ system of transfer negotiations can now be done two ways, the tried and tested system and a new ‘live’ system, similar to that used in FM’s contract negotiations.
- The 3D match engine has seen extensive improvements, including enhanced AI, improved lighting and player animation, individual player character and kit models, more realistic player reaction to on-field incidents and a range of optimisations which combine to make this the best looking and fastest FM Match Engine yet. Major changes have also been made to FM 2014’s user interface. Key areas have been redesigned – including the training overview page, the transfer centre and the news homepage – while widespread changes have been made across the game’s user interface. The language employed throughout the game has also enjoyed a major overhaul and now corresponds more closely to the language of real world football.
Rank #3
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