English football’s lost generation, born 1989-1993-What might have been?
When Gareth Southgate and his staff sit down to pick their World Cup squad later this year, the senior members of his squad are likely to be Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker, if just in age.
But what about the other players of their generation? Those born between the years of 1989 and 1993. Those who broke onto the scene and into squads in the time between the Golden Generation of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney et al. and Southgate’s tenure. The majority of whom also played for “Big Six” sides. None who won 50 caps. All of whom were touted from a young age, unlike Kane and Maguire, and all who’ve seen their careers fail to live up to the hype. English football’s “Lost Generation”.
Jack Wilshere, the pick of the bunch, saw his star shine the brightest if only for a short time. At the close of the 2010/11 season, Wilshere was the PFA Young Player of the Year, captain- in-waiting at Arsenal and already a fixture in the England set up, having made his debut in August 2010 at the tender age of 18. All was rosy until a stress fracture ankle injury sustained in pre-season laid waste to the entirety of the next campaign. Little did we know at the time, it would be the downfall of his career as injuries came almost as frequently as England caps – 34 in total, the last in the ignominious 2-1 loss to Iceland at EURO 2016. He’s now just looking to play at any level, currently with AGF in the Danish Superliga.
Injuries are a common theme here, with the two Daniels, Sturridge and Welbeck, also seeing promising careers blighted by a spate of them. Sturridge at one point, following the 2013/14 season where his 21 league goals alongside Luis Suarez almost propelled Liverpool to the league title, looked set to be England’s no.9 for years to come. Goals came versus Italy and Wales at World Cup 2014 and EURO 2016 respectively, but long spells on the treatment table has seen him first move to Turkey and then Australia, where he’s currently struggling to stay fit at Perth Glory.
Welbeck’s injuries began to rack up in his time with Arsenal, with two serious knee injuries and a broken ankle in his five year stint in North London. Prior to that, his career trajectory, was knocked off pace by the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, under whom came a debut, a Premier League title and a Bernabeu goal. A year of David Moyes came and went with a reasonable goals return but the abiding memory was a failed attempt at chipping Manuel Neuer one-on-one. At least for Louis Van Gaal, who quickly discarded the striker upon arrival in 2014. Despite all of this, he’s still managed 16 goals in 42 caps at international level. One of which a delightful flick against Sweden at EURO 2012. His strike partner and fellow goal-scorer that night – Andy Carroll. Nine caps and just one other goal was the international career for a player who once upon a time was the most expensive in British history.
Welbeck wasn’t alone in having his career affected by the Scot’s departure. Phil Jones, once heralded as a possible “greatest ever player” for United by Fergie (in a hyperbolic state), was also struck down by the injury curse. He’s cruelly become more known for social media memes than performances in recent years. Chris Smalling, his supposed United and England centre-back partner in the early 2010s, was more or less put into international retirement by Gareth Southgate for his perceived lack of ball playing ability. Tom Cleverley’s time at United never kicked on from a blistering start to the 2011/12 season, again due to injury. He quickly became a scapegoat under Moyes and his 13-cap England career ended by the time he was 24. Ravel Morrison was moved out of Manchester for his own good by Ferguson and United, briefly starred at West Ham, went on a world tour of clubs before landing at Wayne Rooney’s Derby. Fitting in a sense.
Another player seen as Rooney-like, Ross Barkley, was viewed as the “next big thing” amongst Evertonians. For a season or two, he looked like living up to the hype. Like most things at Goodison these days, it didn’t last and Barkley left for Chelsea following a contract stand-off in January 2018. You’d be forgiven for not remembering he’s still there, having been loaned out to Aston Villa and starting this season without a squad number. Danny Drinkwater can empathise, another member of Chelsea’s forgotten army, if not the lost generation, given he left United for Leicester without a first-team appearance. As can Jack Rodwell, another Toffee whose career got sticky after a big move, to Manchester City in his case. Just three international caps came for a player named the “worst signing in Sunderland history” by local papers following a refusal to take a wage cut after relegation – a modern day Winston Bogarde.
Other teen stars like Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, both who made the move from Southampton to Arsenal, have seen their careers plateau instead of peak in their supposed prime years. Walcott’s England career is arguably most remembered for World Cup 2006 selection aged 16 over Jermain Defoe before he’d played a minute for the Gunners. He didn’t play a minute at the tournament either – an inspired decision from Sven- Göran Eriksson. Despite scoring over 100 goals for Arsenal, he always seemed a nearly man, never assured of his spot and moved onto Everton before once again becoming a Saint.
Oxlade-Chamberlain may join him in a return to St. Mary’s this summer, as a departure from Liverpool is sure to take place. Due to a horror knee injury, the emergence of Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones and the signings of Thiago and Fabinho, it’s now been over four years since he completed 90 minutes in the Premier League – 14th April 2018 to be precise. His England career looks to be on the rocks too, given he hasn’t played since 2019. It’s a far cry from starting at EURO 2012 aged just 19.
Jack Butland is England’s youngest ever keeper at 19 years and 158 days. Martin Kelly is the owner of the shortest England international career having played two minutes and thirty- nine seconds. Both were part of the squad for EURO 2012. Both are now perennial bench warmers at Crystal Palace.
In fact, all of these players bar Tom Cleverley, were selected for international tournaments from EURO 2012 to EURO 2016. Phil Jones even made it as far as the World Cup in 2018. England’s record in this four year period? Never made it past a quarter-final and suffered the nadir of a group exit in 2014 and a loss to Iceland in 2016.
It was also an era when club sides struggled to compete in Europe, as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich moved clear of the Premier League. After Manchester United in 2011 and Chelsea in 2012, there was a gap of six years before there was an English finalist in the Champions League. Were these players a reason for this or did their careers suffer as a result of a widespread downturn? The answer is probably a combination of the two.
In an alternate reality, a 30-year old Jack Wilshere is set to captain a squad featuring many of these players to the World Cup this winter. Instead, none will make the squad and the best chance of participation is as part of a punditry panel. What might have been?