In October 2017, England’s Under-17s defeated Spain 5-2, to be crowned World Cup Champions in India. Five years on players have progressed to England’s senior, Premier League and Championship teams. So let’s remind ourselves of who the Young Lions were and look at where they are now.
Curtis Anderson
The highlight of the World Cup for Curtis Anderson was saving and scoring in a penalty shoot-out in round 16 against Japan and starting in the final. The 22-year-old was selected from the Manchester City academy and has since played at multiple lower leagued clubs including a couple of loans before finally signing for Lancaster City where he has made 24 appearances.
Steven Sessegnon
Twin brother to Tottenham right back Ryan Sessegnon, Steven was recognised playing at Fulham, where he made 14 appearances. He has since had multiple loan moves and is currently playing on loan at league one club Charlton Athletic, with 11 appearances this season. Sessegnon featured in five of the under-17 world cup fixtures including the final where his two assists helped England lift the trophy.
Joel Latibeaudiere
After being captain for Manchester City during his time in the academy, Joel Latibeaudiere was given the captaincy during the three lions winning campaign, playing every minute. The 22-year-old now plays for Swansea in the Championship with four clean sheets this season. Latibeaudiere has also changed his nationality to Jamaican, making his international debut in May.
Marc Guehi
The Chelsea academy graduate played every minute of the tournament and scored the fourth goal in the final. Since then, Marc Guehi made 30 appearances for Chelsea’s youth team helping them win the quadruple in the 2017/2018 season, he then went on loan to Swansea where he helped the team reach the play-off semi-finals, but still wasn’t enough to impress the Chelsea first team manager. Finally, Guehi signed a permanent deal with Crystal Palace in 2021 where his performances earned a senior England cap this year (alongside Conor Gallagher – also in the 2017 winning squad) and placed him in contention for Qatar 2022.
Jonathan Panzo
As the second Chelsea academy graduate that played defence in the final. Jonathan Panzo swapped West London for Monaco in 2018, but since returned to England after multiple moves abroad to play for Nottingham Forest. Panzo is currently on loan to Coventry City in the Championship – playing for former England under-17 manager Steve Cooper – making 15 appearances so far this season.
Tashan Oakley-Boothe
Tashan Oakley-Boothe featured in six games during the World Cup including the final. After being released from Tottenham academy with zero appearances for the first team and rejecting a contract extension, Oakley-Boothe signed permanently for Stoke City in 2020 and is currently out on loan to League One team Lincoln City where he has made 12 appearances.
George McEachran
Another Chelsea academy graduate George McEachran played central midfield during the campaign. McEachran left Chelsea without a single first-team appearance, he went on two loan spells but only appeared in five games overall. He was recently released at the end of his contract and is a free agent.
Phil Foden
Arguably the most consistent player since the team were crowded champions in 2017, Phil Foden won the World Cup Golden Ball followed by the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, having scored a brace in the final. Foden has since won multiple trophies with his boyhood club Manchester City making over 150 appearances. He will no doubt play a huge part in the upcoming World Cup too, already secured numerous caps in the national team and is a front runner for Gareth Southgate’s final 26.
Morgan Gibbs-White
In the final Morgan Gibbs-White bagged himself a goal helping England secure the victory. Picked up from Wolverhampton for the World Cup squad Gibbs-White has since been on two loan spells, including reaching the Championship play-offs with Sheffield united, picking up multiple awards in the process. He finally made a permanent move to Nottingham Forest in the summer, becoming the 10th highest costing English player for a fee of £42.5m.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
In the final Callum Hudson-Odoi picked up two assists showcasing his exceptional talent – he was the only Chelsea academy graduate in the starting line-up to have progressed to the first team. He was capped three times for England’s first team after impressing Southgate with his form, but sadly an Achilles tendon injury towards the end of the 2018/19 season left a constant struggle to regain his former level of athleticism, resulting in a lack of minutes. Hudson-Odoi is now currently on loan to Bayer Laverkusen where he recently scored in the Champions League. Hopefully he has a successful season abroad and is back in the Chelsea team very soon.
Rhian Brewster
Rhian Brewster flew through the World Cup like a goal machine, scoring two successive hat-tricks against the USA and Brazil, before netting a goal in the final and taking home the Golden Boot. Brewster came through the Chelsea academy before moving to Liverpool who loaned him out to Swansea City to gain experience; he is now at Sheffield United on a permanent deal but seems to be struggling, having scored only four goals in 58 appearances.
Players from the squad who are now playing in the Premier League include Emile Smith Rowe, Jadon Sancho, and Conor Gallagher. These three players are currently struggling to make an impact within their clubs due to a lack of form, but with the talent they possess it’s only a matter of time before they turn it around.
Hopefully the upcoming generations of Young Lions are as impressive as this squad.
