Back when Football Manager 2012 was released in October 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge of Manchester United and things were looking pretty good.
United had taken 20 points from the first 24 on offer, unbeaten in their opening eight games of the 2011-12 season. Although two days after the game hit the shelves, United were beaten 6-1 at home by Manchester City.
Still, while Ferguson’s men failed to retain their title and went trophyless that campaign, they pushed City all the way to the dying seconds of the final day. The club looked in decent shape and boasted a number of highly-rated emerging talents.
FM Scout picked out 11 talented youngsters on United’s books at the time as fabled Football Manager ‘wonderkids’ – but where are they now, a decade after the game’s release?
David de Gea
De Gea arrived at Old Trafford in June 2011 from Atletico Madrid and, whilst it took him time to get settled, he would go on to establish himself as one of the world’s greatest shot-stoppers.
At times throughout the post-Ferguson era, it would be fair to say de Gea almost single-handedly kept United afloat.
Still at Old Trafford a decade on, the Spaniard has returned to some of his best form this year after coming under criticism the past few seasons. And he’s not been afraid to speak his mind after his first-hand experience of how far the great club have fallen.
READ: ‘A disgrace’ – Eight times David de Gea has publicly criticised Man Utd
Phil Jones
It’s fair to say that Jones has had some rocky years at Old Trafford after joining Manchester United as one of the most exciting young defenders in England.
He did not make a single appearance in 2020-21 due to injury problems but has returned to the periphery in 2021-22, with four appearances under Ralf Rangnick.
“I’ve been to hell and back,” he said to the official Manchester United website last year. “I think as a footballer, as a person, as a human being, that’s the lowest I…