Summary
We have taken a look at where England's Under-17s from the triumphant 2010 European Championship are now.
Bruno Pilatos' career was derailed by a career-threatening injury, leading to stints in lower league football.
Connor Wickham, Ross Barkley, and Saido Berahino also featured.
On May 30, 2010, England’s U17s were crowned European Championship winners. After cruising through Group B with three wins from three, John Peacock’s side overcame France in the semi-finals to set up a mouthwatering final against Spain - a moment that sparked national excitement about the country’s promising new generation.
La Roja struck first through a familiar name in former Everton and Watford winger Gerard Deulofeu. But England rallied, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory and lift the trophy. Now, 15 years later, those young stars should have gone on to enjoy successful senior careers.
But have they truly fulfilled their potential? We’ve taken a look back at that highly rated squad to see what became of Peacock’s class of 2010.
Sam Johnstone
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sam Johnstone
Despite showing a lot of promise, Sam Johnstone never made a senior appearance for Manchester United, spending much of his early career out on loan at clubs like Doncaster Rovers, Preston North End, and Aston Villa. It wasn’t until his permanent move to West Bromwich Albion in 2018 that the shot-stopper truly established himself as a first-choice goalkeeper.
He impressed in the Championship and later in the Premier League, where he has appeared 73 times. His form at West Brom led to an England senior call-up, and he made his debut in 2021. In 2022, he signed for Crystal Palace, continuing to compete at the top level, and you can now find him at Molineux with Wolves, playing second-fiddle to Jose Sa.
Bruno Pilatos
Unattached
Bruno Pilatos
A product of Middlesbrough’s academy, Bruno Pilatos was highly rated for his versatility and technical ability. However, his senior career never took off as expected, and he suffered a career-threatening injury (broken leg) that saw his dreams crumble. He left Boro without making a first-team appearance and drifted through the lower leagues and non-league football, including stints at clubs like Hereford United and Darlington.
Now 32, the last time we knew of Pilatos' whereabouts, he played for Pickering Town in the 2023/24 campaign, who are currently members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.
Luke Garbutt
Salford City
Luke Garbutt
Luke Garbutt perhaps got a little too comfortable in the comforts of his Merseyside surroundings. He signed his first professional contract with Everton in 2011, but by the time he finally left permanently in 2020, he had only made 12 appearances. Instead, he found success on loan at Football League sides such as Cheltenham Town and Oxford United.
A left-back with a knack of providing inch-perfect crosses for his teammates, he spent three years at Blackpool, but he now plies his trade for Salford City, who narrowly missed out on the League Two playoffs this season just gone under Karl Robinson's steady hand.
Conor Coady
Leicester City
Conor Coady
Conor Coady is one of the few players in this article who hardly needs an introduction. A constant presence in the Premier League over the past decade, the current Leicester City defender earned 10 caps for England, with his best years coming during his time at Wolves.
Over eight seasons at Molineux between 2015 and 2023, he made 317 appearances and formed a solid defensive partnership with Willy Boly. Together, they provided the backbone for the Old Gold's’ memorable run to Europa League qualification in the 2018/19 campaign.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Sheffield Wednesday
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A product of Chelsea’s youth academy alongside brother Trevoh, Nathaniel Chalobah found breaking into the Blues' first team immensely challenging. The one-cap England international spent several years on loan at clubs like Watford, Middlesbrough, and Napoli, gaining valuable experience but never secured a permanent spot at Stamford Bridge.
In 2017, he moved to Watford permanently, where he became a regular Premier League midfielder. Later, Chalobah then joined Fulham, continuing to compete in the top tier. After spending a lone campaign with West Brom, he now plays for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, where he featured 18 times in his debut season.
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Andre Wisdom
Unattached
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Believe it or not, there was a time when Liverpool's youth academy churned out pretty underwhelming right-backs. Before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley, there was Andre Wisdom. While his name was special, his talents were never useful on Merseyside, and after 14 appearances across five years, he made a permanent move to Derby County in 2017.
Nigh-on a century of appearances for the Rams proved pretty good going for the right-back, who then opted to play out the rest of his career in much humbler settings. First, he turned out for Warrington Town in the 2023/24 season, and then for Derry City in 2024, before seemingly falling off the face of the earth. His whereabouts now aren't known, but he will forever cherish the goal he scored in the 2010 Under-17 Euros final.
Will Keane
Preston North End
Will Keane
After making over 100 senior appearances, Will Keane’s career has been a tale of perseverance. Once a highly rated prospect in Manchester United’s academy, injuries severely hampered his progress. He moved through several clubs, including Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday, and Wigan Athletic, struggling to find consistency.
However, a resurgence came at Ipswich Town, where his form improved before a standout spell at Wigan in the 2021/22 season saw him win the League One Golden Boot as he found he was better as a centre-forward. His performances earned him a move to Preston North End and a call-up to the Republic of Ireland national team, reviving his career in impressive fashion.
George Thorne
Unattached
George Thorne
Unfortunately, George Thorne didn't show the same sort of resilience his midfield partner did, as injuries really did bring an end to his pomp, and he was never able to reclaim his gleam. These issues cropped up when he joined Derby County in 2014 from West Brom.
Serious knee and leg injuries sidelined him for long spells, halting his development. Despite brief loan spells and attempts at comebacks at the likes of Oxford United, Thorne never fully regained his form. He later moved into non-league football and eventually stepped away from the professional game altogether - last playing for St Neots Town in 2023.
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Benik Afobe
Unattached
Benik Afobe
After winning the 2010 U17 European Championship with England, Benik Afobe was tipped for stardom. A prolific youth striker at Arsenal, he never made a senior appearance for the Gunners, instead spending time out on loan at various clubs. His breakthrough came at MK Dons and then Wolves, where he scored regularly and earned a Premier League move to Bournemouth in 2016.
While he showed flashes of quality, consistency at the top level proved elusive, and he ended up making six international appearances for Sierra Leone. Afobe returned to Wolves briefly before a series of moves, including stints at Stoke City, Bristol City, and Millwall. Tragically, in 2019, he suffered the loss of his young daughter, which deeply impacted him personally and professionally. Later in his career, Afobe moved abroad to play in the UAE and Qatar. But now, having been without a club for nearly a year, whether his playing days are over remains a mystery.
Saido Berahino
Tabor Sezana
Saido Berahino
At one point in time, Saido Berahino was the future of English football, bagging goals in the Premier League with aspirations of a move further up the table that no doubt would have helped him land countless England caps and multiple winners' medals in his career. However, a combination of failed moves and a questionable attitude prevented that from happening.
A failed move to Tottenham seemed to mark a turning point, as off-field issues and disciplinary problems hampered his progress. He later joined Stoke City but struggled to recapture his form. After leaving English football, Berahino had spells in Belgium and Cyprus. In January this year, he found himself with a move to Slovenia where he has appeared four times for Tabor Sezana so far.
Robert Hall
Unattached
Rob Hall Oxford
Robert Hall was seen as a promising attacking talent in the West Ham United academy. Known for his pace and creativity, he made a handful of senior appearances for the Hammers but struggled to break into the first team. Hall spent time on loan at several lower-league clubs, including Oxford United, where he eventually signed permanently in 2016. He showed flashes of his ability but was plagued by recurring injuries, particularly knee problems, which limited his longevity.
After leaving Oxford in 2021 following five years where he scored 25 goals and produced 20 assists in 111 appearances, he dropped into non-league football with stints at clubs like Barnet and Hampton & Richmond Borough. He was last spotted playing for Cheshunt last year, but after just two appearances, he's without a club again.
Substitutes
Jack Butland, Connor Wickham, and Ross Barkley feature
Jack Butland kicks things off on a bench that is filled with pretty memorable faces, and the goalkeeper now plays in Scotland for Rangers as their first-choice after making a name for himself at Stoke City during their Premier League halcyon days under Tony Pulis. Connor Wickham, the goalscorer of the winner against Spain, is a free agent after his best years came at Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
Ross Barkley was tipped for Stardom by Wayne Rooney, who was convinced the Everton youth graduate would go on and beat his England goalscoring record. While he has still had a good career, and now plays for Aston Villa, he never quite reached the heights expected of him as he flatlined at Chelsea following a big money move.
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Luke Williams, Tom Thorpe, and Ben Gibson each took different paths. Williams, once a highly rated forward at Middlesbrough, struggled with injuries and eventually drifted into non-league football. Tom Thorpe captained Manchester United’s youth teams and made one senior appearance, but persistent fitness issues saw his career stall, and he eventually stepped away from professional football.
Gibson fared best, becoming a key defender at Middlesbrough and later earning a Premier League move to Burnley. Though that move didn’t fully work out, he revived his career at Norwich City, where he remained a regular until joining Stoke City last summer. Former Chelsea wonderkid Josh Mceachran rejected Real Madrid when he was younger, but he now perhaps regrets that decision after spending his career in the lower leagues before recently being released by Oxford United at 32 years old.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 31/05/2025)