Are English Wonderkids Cursed?

Every few years we are introduced to a new ‘Golden Boy’ in English Football, a new teenage sensation whose fans begin to hype up and believe that he will be England’s answer in the future. However, more often than not they fail to live up to this hype, their story ending a few years later whether this be due to injury, controversy or simply their ceiling being much lower than expected. So this begs the questions - What gives? Is it that players often receive too much hype or are English wonderkids truly cursed and destined to fail?

Dele Alli

After spending his youth at MK Dons, Dele Alli first burst onto the scene at Tottenham, as a teenager he was scoring belters week in week out and bossing midfields like a seasoned pro. By the time he turned 20, he was a regular starter for England and was on track for back to back 10+ goal seasons and at just 21, he scored 18 goals in the league. Under Pochettino, Alli thrived in the system bouncing off the newly emerging Harry Kane to dominate teams and in the 2016-17 season they combined to score a whopping 47 goals. However with new managers came new systems and because of this, Dele struggled to adapt, falling out of favour and becoming a rotation player due to a lack of a clear role for him in the team. In recent times, Dele has spoken out about his struggles with his mental health as well as suffering from gut wrenching childhood trauma, this along with no proper guidance led Dele to struggle with his match confidence and lose his way in terms of attitude towards the game. In an interview in 2023, he said he wants to be back to his best soon and hopes to be potentially playing at the top level soon. He is currently at Como in the Serie A but remains a bench player.

Jadon Sancho

At just 17, Jadon Sancho left Manchester City’s Academy and joined Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of around £8 million. When playing in Germany, Sancho began to shine, displaying sensational skill and ability, becoming one of Dortmund’s stand out players and being touted as England's next big star. He eventually secured his big move back to England - His infamous transfer to Manchester United in 2021, however this price tag came with massive expectations which Sancho was unfortunately unable to fulfill, he also struggled with his attitude under Erik Ten Hag publicly falling out with the Dutchman, being exiled from the first team and then being sent out back on loan to his former club after this series of unfortunate events. When Sanchos form dipped at Manchester United, reports suggested he was dealing with confidence and mental health issues. He even took time away from the team to work on himself - a brave move, but also one that shows how tough the pressure can be, especially at a club like United. Sancho is now on loan at Chelsea and is trying to return to his best whilst still struggling for playing time.

Marcus Rashford

Without a doubt the most successful player on this list, Rashford was hailed as having the potential to fill Wayne Rooney’s boots after his departure from Manchester United. Rashford’s debut in 2016 was the stuff of dreams - goals in Europe, goals in the league, goals for England. He wasn’t just fast and skillful; he had the momentum and the backing of an entire fanbase with many believing he could be the face of Manchester United for years to come. While he’s had some great seasons (like 2022/23), Rashford’s form has been wildly up and down. One season he’s scoring 20+ goals, the next he looks completely off the pace - poor decision-making, bad touches, or drifting through games. This inconsistency stops him from being considered elite by many fans. One of the other factors that may contribute to people's agenda against Rashford is his lack of a natural position, with him not being a definite winger or striker, sitting in the grey area in between the two. On top of this, many critics have often accused him of lacking focus during games, switching and failing to track back and help on the defensive end, especially when things aren’t going his way this has led to him being thought of by some as selfish as a footballer - not helping the team just because things aren’t going his way. However, since January and his loan move to Aston Villa he has begun to show shades of his former self. When he has played for Villa he has shown masses of confidence and ability, taking on players and playing a more traditional winger role, providing for his teammates but also cutting in and shooting when necessary. So whilst calling Rashford a failed wonderkid may be harsh, there is no denying he has fallen massively short of the expectations that many people had for him.

Jack Wilshere

When he initially came onto the scene, Wilshere was hyped as England’s midfield savior. At just 19, he outplayed Xavi and Iniesta in a Champions League match vs. Barcelona. He had everything - technique, vision, swagger, and that rare ability to glide past players. The hype wasn’t just media-driven though, players, coaches, and fans believed he was the real deal. However the biggest setbacks to Wilshere’s career were his seemingly never ending list of injuries thanks to his “glass ankles,” repeated injuries, ligament issues and surgeries often kept him sidelined for months and sometimes years at a time and everytime he hinted at a return to his former self, another setback came along. Due to Wilshere’s repeated injury problem he was never able to properly refine his game, leaving him with a very raw playing style which whilst it was beautiful to watch proved to be ineffective on many occasions. At the time, there were also questions about Wilshere’s off the pitch habits, extravagant parties and questionable choices led critics to question his mindset from early on in his career and whilst Jack denies this, perception is a big thing in sports and questions were raised about his time out of the game. By his mid-20’s Wilshere had gone from regularly playing for Arsenal to bouncing around mid-table Premier League clubs and eventually retiring from the game at just 30 years of age. However, Wilshere himself can’t be held solely accountable for never reaching his potential as his body never let him physically get to that point.

Jordon Ibe

Jordon Ibe is one of the more low-key but classic cases of a failed wonderkid, Ibe broke through as a teenager with electric pace, strength, and flair; he was quickly billed as “the next Raheem Sterling.” He showed flashes of brilliance at Liverpool, and fans expected him to be a regular starter in no time. His downfall began as whilst Ibe had the physical tools, his game lacked polish with poor decision-making, inconsistent final product, and questionable football IQ. Instead of improving over time, he kind of stayed the same, which isn't enough at the top level. Liverpool sold Ibe to Bournemouth for £15 million in 2016, big money for a youngster at the time and the move that was meant to help refine him as a player and get him more minutes just caused his form to dip even further before he was released by the club in 2020. He has since opened up about battling depression and personal struggles, especially after his football career stalled. Another reminder that mental health plays a huge role in a young player’s development and sometimes the support just isn’t there. After Bournemouth, his career slowly drifted with short stints at Derby and Adanaspor in Turkey and still getting little playing time, and no real resurgence. At one point, he even admitted he “fell out of love with football.”