Where are the 10 best Football Manager 2014 wonderkids now?

Football Manager is known for its uncanny ability to spot young talent. Every year, they seem to crown a future star who goes on to become one of the world’s best. They called it with players like Marco Verratti, Romelu Lukaku, and Vincent Kompany before the rest of us caught on. And let’s not forget Lionel Messi — yeah, that one was a no-brainer.

But, hey, nobody’s perfect. For every Messi, there’s a Freddy Adu who didn’t quite hit those dizzying heights, and a Cherno Samba who still hasn’t won a Ballon d’Or. Let’s rewind to the wonderkids of 2014 and see how they’ve fared. We’ll be using FM Scout’s ‘personal recommendation rating’ to choose the top 10 wonderkids and see if Football Manager got it right.

Raphael Varane

Okay, fair play — Football Manager nailed this one. Since his wonderkid days in 2014, Varane has bagged four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, and a World Cup with France. But before we give FM too much credit, he was already at Real Madrid, so it wasn’t exactly a shot in the dark.

Adnan Januzaj

Here we go with a player who didn’t quite reach those wonderkid expectations. Though, to be fair, he was at Manchester United, so maybe this is actually what we should expect. Currently, Januzaj is at Las Palmas in La Liga, so not a total flop, but certainly not the superstar we anticipated.

Jesé

Few on this list have had a fall from grace like Jesé. He began at Real Madrid’s youth academy and even earned tons of caps at youth level for Spain. But after moving to PSG, things took a downward turn. Now at 31, he’s playing for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta’zim. Safe to say, FM didn’t see that coming.

Gaston Gil Romero

I’ll be honest: I had to Google this guy. Never a great sign. He’s carved out a career in South America but never broke into the big European leagues. Currently, he’s with Chilean club Audax Italiano, so let’s just say he didn’t quite hit Football Manager’s sky-high expectations.

Samuel Umtiti

This one’s tough to judge. Umtiti’s had a solid career with Lyon and Barcelona, plus a World Cup winner’s medal, which isn’t too shabby. But injuries held him back from becoming the elite star defender many expected. Still, a solid career most players would dream of.

Mattia De Sciglio

In hindsight, it’s a bit surprising De Sciglio was ever considered a wonderkid. He’s a versatile, defensively solid wingback, but not exactly the flashy player we associate with wonderkid status. Still, with over 200 appearances for both AC Milan and Juventus, he’s had a respectable career, even if he didn’t reach elite heights.

Lucas Romero

Football Manager tipped Romero as the next big thing from South America, potentially matching Casemiro’s level. But while he’s had a respectable career across Argentinian clubs like Vélez Sarsfield and Independiente, he never got close to the international stage or FM’s lofty expectations.

Paul Pogba

What hasn’t been said about Pogba? Bought for £89 million by Manchester United, involved in a doping scandal, and Graeme Souness’ personal nemesis, Pogba’s certainly made waves. While he didn’t become the next Zidane, he’s undeniably one of Football Manager’s more accurate predictions, both for his skill and his impact on the game.

Bernard

Remember when Bernard was tipped as the next big thing? After a promising start, he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk, then Everton, and later drifted between clubs in the UAE, Greece, and Brazil. It’s fair to say he’s had a journeyman career rather than becoming the world-class talent FM imagined.

Ravel Morrison

Ravel Morrison is the ultimate what if. Not just Football Manager, but Sir Alex Ferguson himself dubbed him the best young talent he’d seen. But as the years passed and Morrison moved from club to club, that potential faded. Now he’s playing in the UAE’s second division, which wasn’t quite what Football Manager had in mind.

Maybe Football Manager’s predictive powers aren’t as psychic as we’d like to think — or at least they weren’t in 2014. Plenty of these players were tipped for stardom but settled for solid careers. That said, FM’s record for picking World Cup winners is impressively high. Did we miss any wonderkids from this list?

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.