Will England U17 World Cup stars ever break through into Premier League first teams? Chelsea and Manchester City dominate squad... but Jadon Sancho and Rhian Brewster quit those clubs in search of opportunities

  • England beat Spain 5-2 on Saturday to win the Under-17 World Cup
  • It comes after the Under 20 team won their World Cup back in June
  • Steve Cooper's Under 17 squad featured five Chelsea and three Man City players
  • The two Premier League clubs have the biggest academies at the moment
  • But some have started to realise at a young age there is no route to the first team 

For the second time in 2017, an England youth team has been crowned champions of the world.

The Under 17 team won their World Cup on Saturday after mounting a quite astonishing comeback from two goals down to beat Spain 5-2 in Kolkata, India.

It comes just four months after the U20 team lifted their World Cup when they defeated Venezuela 1-0 in the final in Suwon,South Korea.

England celebrate winning the FIFA Under 17 World Cup after their win over Spain on Saturday

England celebrate winning the FIFA Under 17 World Cup after their win over Spain on Saturday

Rhian Brewster with his Golden Boot award after finishing as the tournament's top scorer

Rhian Brewster with his Golden Boot award after finishing as the tournament's top scorer

Manchester City's Phil Foden was named the player of the tournament after the final

Manchester City's Phil Foden was named the player of the tournament after the final

Both triumphs hopefully point to a brighter future for the national side at senior level, where a 51-year wait for tournament success probably won't be ending anytime soon.


The success of the U17 team is the product of hard work in the academies of Premier League and Championship clubs, but discussion will quickly turn to the future that lies in store for these world beaters.

Of the 21 players selected by coach Steve Cooper for the finals in India, five were supplied by Chelsea and three by Manchester City.

Two come from Tottenham's youth system, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Fulham, Reading, Wolves and Fleetwood Town had one apiece.

It would have been four for City had Jadon Sancho not moved to Borussia Dortmund in August. In any case, the Bundesliga club recalled Sancho after the group stages and he duly made his club debut on October 21.

England coach Steve Cooper celebrates wildly at the final whistle as his team won 5-2

England coach Steve Cooper celebrates wildly at the final whistle as his team won 5-2

Manchester City defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates with his winners' medal

Manchester City defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates with his winners' medal

The highly rated Jadon Sancho was brought through the academy at Manchester City

The highly rated Jadon Sancho was brought through the academy at Manchester City

But he decided to move to Borussia Dortmund, who recalled him after the group stages 

But he decided to move to Borussia Dortmund, who recalled him after the group stages 

ENGLAND'S UNDER 17 SQUAD CLUB BY CLUB 

5 - Chelsea

3 - Manchester City

2 - Tottenham Hotspur

1 - Stoke City, Fleetwood Town, Everton, Fulham, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool, Reading 

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The clubs represented in the England squad reflects the current preeminence of Chelsea and City in the youth game, as a result of the millions of pounds invested into their academies by their wealthy owners.

These two have contested the last three FA Youth Cup finals, with Chelsea winning all three contests, and at the moment they stand head and shoulders above the competition, certainly at U18 level.

The Chelsea quintet in the England squad - Marc Guehi, Jonathan Panzo, George McEachran, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Conor Gallagher - have all played their part in this success and will continue to do so this season.

City trio Curtis Anderson, Joel Latibeaudiere and Phil Foden are all likely to win honours at youth level.

But from there, the dozens of prodigiously talented players stockpiled by Chelsea and City enter the bottleneck that blocks the pathway to first-team football. And this has a knock-on effect on international representation.

Chelsea defender Marc Guehi poses with an England flag following their victory over Spain

Chelsea defender Marc Guehi poses with an England flag following their victory over Spain

Fellow Chelsea defender Jonathan Panzo greets the crowd following England's victory

Fellow Chelsea defender Jonathan Panzo greets the crowd following England's victory

In the England squad that won the U19 European Championship, there were six Chelsea players - Trevoh Chalobah, Jay Dasilva, Dujon Sterling, Reece James, Jacob Maddox and Mason Mount - and there were just three in the U20 squad that won the World Cup - Fikayo Tomori, Jake Clarke-Salter and Dominic Solanke, who later joined Liverpool.

City had two players in the U19 squad - forwards Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Lukas Nmecha.

The supposed first-team pathway at Chelsea and City now seems to have many diversions - loan spells, mainly, to clubs all over the world.

Chelsea have 33 players - mostly academy graduates - out on loan this season and City have 23 of their Elite Development Squad on loans at the moment, in addition to a further seven young players from the fringes of the first-team.

England also achieved World Cup success at Under 20 level earlier this year

England also achieved World Cup success at Under 20 level earlier this year

England U20 coach Paul Simpson (right) and captain Lewis Cook upon their return home

England U20 coach Paul Simpson (right) and captain Lewis Cook upon their return home

Some players go through three or four seasons out on loan and then still don't make the first-team picture, eventually cutting their losses and moving to another club at a lower level.

But there are signs of a reaction to this way of doing things at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium.

Forward Solanke, who had an exceptional scoring record in Chelsea's youth sides and was named the player of the tournament at the U20 World Cup, believed his chances of Premier League football were better at Liverpool.

Who can blame him? Solanke played just 17 minutes of first-team football at Chelsea, but has already played nine matches for his new club.

Sancho clearly believed that his chances of career progression were better at Dortmund than at City, where he would be really up against it to win a place in Pep Guardiola's expensively-assembled first team.

Rhian Brewster left Chelsea at the age of 14 because he didn't see a route to the first team

Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of a significant Chelsea contingent within the U17 squad

Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of a significant Chelsea contingent within the U17 squad

Dominic Solanke also swapped Chelsea for Liverpool in the summer after a lack of game time

Dominic Solanke also swapped Chelsea for Liverpool in the summer after a lack of game time

The fact he made his debut against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this month, albeit only as a substitute for six minutes, suggests he may well be right.

Our latest World Cup hero Brewster switched from Chelsea to Liverpool at the age of 14 and is on record as saying he didn't believe there was a pathway to the first-team at the London club.

Given the complimentary words about him by Jurgen Klopp in recent weeks, we could well see Brewster make his first-team debut this season.

A few minutes after Premier League leaders City won 3-2 at West Brom on Saturday, news filtered through to Pep Guardiola that England had won the World Cup and Foden had scored twice.

Guardiola asked what position Foden had played in and then said: 'I will put him in this position if he scores two goals in the final!'

But as with the progression of any young player - even a world champion - at the leading clubs, it's much easier said than done.

 

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