Manchester United won the FA Youth Cup in 2011.
Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison led Manchester United to FA Youth Cup victory in 2011.
The Youth Cup is the most prestigious competition in academy football and United have won it more than any other club. They last lifted the trophy at in 2021/22.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo helped to end a 10-year wait at United for more success in the competition, following a triumph from a supremely talented team in 2011.
The Class of 2011 was considered to have so much promise, they were dubbed the next .
So where are the players now? We've taken a closer look at their respective career paths.
Sam Johnstone
The 32-year-old only completed a permanent move out of United in 2018 to join West Brom for around £6m. The goalkeeper had previously worked his way up the Football League during loan spells at Oldham, Scunthorpe, Walsall, Yeovil, Doncaster, Preston and Aston Villa.
Johnstone had joined United in July 2009 and quickly became first choice for United’s youth team. The 6ft 4ins shot-stopper made over 150 appearances for West Brom before signing for Crystal Palace in 2022.
He is now the second choice goalkeeper at Wolves and has won four caps for England.
Sam Johnstone during pre-season this summer. (Image: 2025 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC)
Michael Keane
Keane had been at United since the age of 11, until he finally left to join Burnley in 2015 after a successful loan spell at Turf Moor. Keane's two years playing under Sean Dyche earned him plenty of attention and he joined Everton in 2017 for a fee that could rise to £30m.
The centre-back is still an important player at Everton and has 12 England caps to his name.
Michael Keane of Everton. (Image: 2025 Malcolm Couzens)
Michele Fornasier
An Italian centre-half, Fornasier joined the United set up in 2009 from Fiorentina.
Although he helped United lift the 2011 FA Youth Cup and appeared in the Under-21 Squad, he failed to make a first team appearance and headed back to Italy in 2013.
Spells at Sampdoria, Pescara, Venezia, Parma, Trapani, Cremonese and Monopoli followed. Fornasier currently plays for Nardo in Serie D.
Michele Fornasier pictured against AC Milan in 2014. (Image: 2014 Getty Images)
Sean McGinty
A powerhouse of a defender, there were high hopes for Sean McGinty at United.
Unfortunately, these failed to materialise and McGinty was sent out on loan to Morecambe, Oxford United, Carlisle United and Tranmere before finally leaving in 2013 to Sheffield United in search of first-team football.
McGinty has subsequently played for Rochdale, Aldershot, Torquay United, Partick Thistle, Greenock Morton, Ayr United, Hamilton Academical and Airdrieonians.
Sean McGinty pictured far left of the group.
Tom Thorpe
Another defender straight from the United academy who sadly couldn’t make the grade at Old Trafford. Although appearing for England at all youth levels, Thorpe struggled for appearances at Rotherham United, where he joined after leaving United permanently in 2015.
After spells at Bradford, Bolton and ATK of the Indian , Thorpe had a break from professional football. He last played for Greater Manchester club Celtic in 2024.
Tom Thorpe playing for Bolton Wanderers in November 2016 (Image: 2016 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
Ryan Tunnicliffe
After making his United senior debut in a cup game against Newcastle in 2012, Tunnicliffe famously won his father £10,000 after he bet £100 at 100/1 that his son, aged nine at the time, would make a first-team appearance for the Reds.
Sadly, it did not progress much beyond that for the Bury-born midfielder and he left the club in 2014 to join Fulham, signed by former United coach Rene Meulensteen. Tunnicliffe went on to make 59 appearances, scoring twice for the Cottagers.
Loans at Wigan and Blackburn came next, followed by a free transfer to Millwall in 2017. Tunnicliffe then played for Luton and Portsmouth before signing for Australian club Adelaide.
Ryan Tunnicliffe with Adelaide United in 2023. (Image: 2023 Getty Images)
Paul Pogba
Where to start with Paul Pogba?
He became United's record signing after leaving United for Juventus in 2012 under acrimonious circumstances before re-signing in 2016 for £89m.
Pogba had been promoted to the first team by Sir for a game against Crawley Town in 2011, however, first-team opportunities would later be hard to come by, with Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick ahead him.
He would make three first-team appearances in the Premier League and before his free transfer to Juve.
Pogba's second stint in Manchester did not hit the heights that were expected, although he did win the League Cup and Europa League during his six-year stay.
He returned to Juventus in 2022, but he was suspended in September 2023 due to the failure of a drug test. Pogba's contract was ended by mutual consent at the end of last year and he made his return to football with Monaco this summer.
Paul Pogba signed for Monaco this summer.
Jesse Lingard
Lingard joined United at the age of seven and as a reward for winning the FA Youth Cup, he was handed his first professional contract in the summer of 2011. He was soon sent out on loan, and Leicester City was the chosen destination, with Lingard going on to make his competitive debut at The Foxes.
Lingard was again sent out on loan in 2013 by David Moyes to Birmingham and Brighton, while finally managing to break through to the first team in 2014.
He famously scored the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final and he also scored the opening goal in United’s 2016 FA Community Shield win, while also netting in the 2017 Final.
The forward hit his peak in 2018 where an impressive season for United was followed by his key role in England's fourth-placed finish at the 2018 World Cup. Lingard was excellent during a loan with West Ham in 2020/21, but he remained at United for another season and left permanently for Nottingham Forest in 2022.
Lingard has been playing for South Korean K League club FC Seoul since his surprise move in February 2024.
Jesse Lingard celebrates after a win for Seoul FC.
Ravel Morrison
Arguably the key man in the Class of 2011, Morrison overshadowed fellow teammates Pogba and Lingard with his pace, flair and vision. United legend described Morrison as 'a Paul Gascoigne-type who could beat men and score some incredible goals'.
But off-field issues undermined his talent and United reluctantly let Morrison go. In 2012, he joined then Championship side West Ham and after spells at QPR, Cardiff, Lazio, Club Atlas and Ostersunds, Morrison returned to England with Sheffield United in 2019.
Morrison only made four appearances for the Blades. He joined Dutch club ADO Den Haag and later signed for Derby County, which was followed by a move to reunite with at D.C. United.
The 32-year-old midfielder currently plays for Precision FC in Dubai.
Wayne Rooney and Ravel Morrison at Derby. (Image: Getty)
Gyliano Van Velzen
After starting his footballing career at Ajax, Van Velzen became one of the youngest players in the FA Youth Cup winning team after joining in 2010. The tricky forward signed a professional contract in 2012 and was sent out on loan to Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
He returned a few months later but by the summer of 2013 the decision was made to release Van Velzen from his contract. Van Velzen returned to the Netherlands and played for FC Utrecht, FC Volendam and Roda JC in the Eredivisie before a return to England in the summer of 2019.
Van Velzen signed for League Two side Crawley, but he only made five appearances for the club and he went back to the Netherlands, where he still plays for VVSB.
Gyliano van Velzen still plays in the Netherlands.
Will Keane
The lanky forward was United’s target man, becoming top scorer for the youth team with 16 goals including eight in their FA Youth Cup winning campaign.
Keane made his first-team debut in late 2011, coming on in a defeat to Blackburn Rovers, but a knee ligament problem ruled him out of the entire 2012/2013 season.
With a few unsuccessful loan spells away from United, Keane eventually left to join former Reds assistant manager Mike Phelan at Hull City in 2016. It took him two years to score his first goal for the club, coming in a 5-0 away win to Burton Albion in April 2018.
Keane currently plays for Preston North End after stints with Ipswich Town and Wigan.
Will Keane in a recent pre-season friendly against Liverpool.
Substitutes
Tyler Blackett
Blackett left United permanently in 2016 after a loan spells at Blackpool, Birmingham and Celtic.
He made over 100 appearances for Reading before representing Nottingham Forest, FC Cincinnati and Rotherham, but Blackett has been without a club as a free agent for over a year now.
Larnell Cole
Cole joined Fulham along with Tunnicliffe in 2014. He currently plays for Warrington Town.
Joe Coll
Coll joined Derry City after being released from United, but his spell there only lasted half a season and he stopped playing professional football.
John Cofie
Cofie worked his way around the lower reaches of the Football League and non-league circuit, adding 12 clubs to his name after leaving United. He entered coaching at the age of 27 in 2020.
Alberto Massacci
Centre-back Massacci returned to Italy following his release from United in 2012. He dropped out of football after leaving ASD Valentino Mazzola in 2017.