Football Manager’s forgotten Wonderkids who never reached their full potential

We all know the classic list of “wonderkids who never made it.” Freddy Adu, Cherno Samba, Yaya Sanogo… the usual suspects. But as I was scrolling through lists of wonderkids from old Football Manager games, I noticed plenty of names that didn’t quite live up to the hype. Sure, some of them had decent careers they can be proud of, but they were nowhere near the world-class level Football Manager promised us.

As we all wait for the delayed FM25 to finally get here, we’re always looking for something better to do. So here’s a look at some players the game hyped up, only for reality to hit them like a 90th-minute equalizer.

Micah Richards

I know what you’re thinking. “Premier League winner, over 200 top-flight appearances—how could Football Manager have gotten this wrong?!” But let’s be brutally honest: Micah Richards was never world-class. Look at his attributes in Football Manager 2009, and you’d think he was destined to become the next Paolo Maldini. At 20 years old, he had stats that would make a regen wonderkid blush.

Sure, Richards had a solid Premier League career. But when you think of him now, it’s more for his ridiculously entertaining punditry than his defensive skills. It’s hard to blame Football Manager for the hype, though—he captained Manchester City young and broke into the England squad as a teenager. But he never reached the levels of John Terry or Rio Ferdinand.

Anthony Martial

There’s a reason why Manchester United put a Ballon d’Or clause in Anthony Martial’s contract. The hype when he signed was absolutely off the charts. The most expensive teenager in history at the time? Check. Cristiano Ronaldo’s heir? Apparently. And Football Manager bought into the excitement. Those attributes at 19? Chef’s kiss.

If I’d found a player like that in the Argentinian second division, I’d have handed them a blank cheque and a 10-year deal. But Martial didn’t live up to the billing. Sure, he had some decent seasons, but his United career fizzled out. Now, he’s at AEK Athens, far from the Ballon d’Or contender we all thought he’d be.

Phil Jones

Phil Jones is another name that pops up on every list of early Football Manager wonderkids. The game wasn’t alone in its optimism—Sir Alex Ferguson once said Jones could become Manchester United’s greatest-ever player. Sadly, injuries had other plans.

One YouTuber even simulated Jones’s career starting from his wonderkid days. In their save, he got 50 England caps and became a rock-solid defender. In real life, though? Jones’s career has been overshadowed by meme-worthy moments and underwhelming performances. If this list proves anything, it’s that being a Manchester United player in the post-Fergie era is definitely a curse.

Max Meyer

If you needed an elite attacking midfielder in FM14, Max Meyer was your guy. Affordable, young, and brimming with potential at Schalke—he was a no-brainer. So it’s easy to see why Crystal Palace took a punt on him.

Unfortunately, Meyer’s real-life career never matched the game’s expectations. After an underwhelming stint at Palace, he bounced around middling European clubs, with his longest spell at Luzern in the Swiss league. Now at APOEL in Cyprus, he’s living the journeyman life. Still, thousands would kill for a career like his—but in FM14, you’d have expected him to have a cabinet full of Champions League medals by now.

Diego Reyes

Remember Diego Reyes? No? Fair enough. But if you played Football Manager 2014, you might recall him as one of the best young defenders in the game. His early career looked the part, too—starting at Club América before a big move to Porto. If this were 2023, Chelsea probably would’ve slapped a £60 million bid on him at that point. FM Blog even stated that “his starting attributes at the age of 20 are simply staggering”

But after Porto, it all went downhill. Reyes had a forgettable stint in Spain, returned to Porto, and eventually made the classic “move to Turkey when your career is winding down.” For someone who was supposed to become a defensive superstar, his career never quite hit the heights FM players hoped for.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

This one feels a bit harsh. Over 250 Serie A appearances, a move to Saudi Arabia worth millions—how can you say Sergej Milinković-Savić didn’t reach his potential? Well, if you used him in Football Manager 2019, you’ll know.

In FM19, Milinković-Savić was a god in midfield. Think prime Yaya Touré. Box-to-box brilliance, tackling, scoring screamers—you name it, he could do it. After one save with him, I was convinced he was the next Zidane.

But real life hasn’t quite delivered the same narrative. No Ballon d’Or, no Champions League trophies, and a career that, while successful, never hit those FM19 levels of dominance.

I’ve definitely missed a few names here—Football Manager’s history is littered with wonderkids who didn’t make it. So, who would you add to the list? Players who had decent careers but fell well short of the hype? Let me know!

Players that get an honourable mention:

Mario Balotelli

John Fleck

Stephan El Shaarawy

Predrag Rajkovic

Kurt Zouma

Thiago Maia

Lincoln

About the Author

William Reid

William is the admin of Out of Context Football Manager, an X account that focuses on FM news. He's worked for LADbible Group and is VG's resident FM expert.