There is something special about discovering a wonderkid on FM and then the player appearing in real life. As an FM player, there is almost a sense of pride that you recognise them before they break onto the world football scene.
There have been some top wonderkids over the years, some who have made it and some who haven’t. Here, we have decided to select a team of our favourite wonderkids from both the Championship Manager and Football Manager eras.
Formation 3-3-1-3
Goalkeeper: Igor Akinfeev
Although the Russian star was 22 when he first arrived on FM07, he needs to be included as he was one of my favourite goalkeepers on either the Championship Manager or Football Manager games.
You could sign him from CSKA Moscow for a relatively cheap fee, and he would be virtually world-class straight away. Akinfeev was always one of the first players I would sign on the game for a few editions afterwards.
Incredibly, Akinfeev is still playing for CSKA Moscow at the ripe old age of 38 years of age.
Defence: Eder Alvarez Balanta
In FM14, Balanta was among the best defensive bargains, having started the game at River Plate. At 21, his stats were already high. However, he would develop into one of the best centre-backs in the game given a few seasons.
Like many of the players on our list, Balanta didn’t quite live up to his potential in real life. He went on to play for Basel and Club Brugge in Europe before returning to his Colombian homeland with America de Cali in 2024.
Defence: Mike Duff
The defender sneaks into the wonderkid category, as he was 23 when he was a wonderkid at Cheltenham in CM0102.
Duff always seemed to perform well on CM0102. He would even sometimes end up at elite clubs on my saves, which is crazy considering he started at Cheltenham. That may be because he had slightly generous stats.
In real life, the defender enjoyed a solid, if spectacular, career. After over 300 appearances for Cheltenham, he moved on to Burnley in 2004, where he stayed until 2016, also making over 300 appearances for the Clarets. He didn’t quite make it to elite clubs, though.
Defence: Anthony Vanden Borre
The versatile Belgian star was one of the top wonderkids in in FM07. At 18, he was regarded as the next big thing when it came to defenders. The fact that he could be bought for less than £1.5m from Anderlecht only added to his attraction.
Not only did he have quality, but he could also play centre-back, right-back, and as a defensive midfielder. He would go on to become one of the best defenders in the game.
Unfortunately for Vanden Borre, he never quite lived up to his FM potential. He made just 93 appearances for Anderlecht while also having sort stints at Fiorentina, Genoa and Genk, among other clubs.
Midfield: Mark Kerr
Mark Kerr is, without a doubt, one of my favourite CM/FM players of all time. In CM0102, the Scottish midfielder was one of the most highly-rated young players in the game.
He started the game as a 20-year-old at Falkirk with excellent stats, which only grew with experience. I remember signing the youngster for a fee of around £1m, and he proved to be the best bargain I have ever had.
Usually, at some point in your save, he would become one of the best midfielders in the game. He would be playing for Juventus or Manchester United if your team wasn’t elite.
Like the majority of players on our list, Kerr couldn’t live up to his CM potential. He stayed with Falkirk until 2003 before moving to Dundee United, where he remained until 2008 before a plethora of spells at various other clubs. He never made it to Turin or Manchester, though.
Midfield: Fredy Guarin
The Colombian midfielder emerged as a wonderkid in FM05. He started the game as an 18-year-old at Envigado in his homeland. His stats were impressive for such a young player, and he would go on to fulfil his massive potential with his stats only growing.
Like Kerr, Guarin would become one of the best midfielders in the game in just a few years. The fact that you could often snap him up for just £1m only added to Guarin’s appeal.
@israel_crvg Fredy Guarín 🤩
Unlike most of his contemporaries on our list, Guarin had a decent career at a high level of the beautiful game. He moved to Saint Etienne in 2007 and then had relatively successful spells at Porto and Inter Milan.
Midfield: Youri Tielemans
I remember Tielemans as a wonderkid at Anderlecht in FM15. His stats were superb for a player still in his teens, and he became one of the best players in his position. He was a bargain buy, although he was in high demand, with many of the biggest clubs chasing his signature.
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Of course, Tielemans has had an excellent career. He joined Monaco in 2017 before signing for Leicester City in 2019, where he won the FA Cup in 2021. He joined the Foxes Midlands rivals Aston Villa in the summer of 2023, who he helped qualify for the Champions League.
Attacking midfielder: Julius Aghahowa
Another one of my CM/FM favourites, I remember the forward from Championship Manager 2001/02. At 19, he was one of the most versatile, quality young players in the game.
He played for Shakhtar Donetsk at the beginning of the game, which made it easy to snap him up for a bargain if, of course, you could get him a work permit. He would go on to score and assist goal after goal, picking up numerous awards, including winning the Ballon d’Or several times.
In real life, the forward struggled for goals at Shakhtar over two spells, as well as not finding his feet at Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.
Forward: Cherno Samba
Samba is one of the most famous CM/FM wonderkids the game has ever produced. The Gambia-born forward was a prodigy at Millwall, attracting the interest of some of England’s clubs in his mid-teens.
That potential was reflected in the fact that he was one of the players with the biggest potential in CM 01-02. He could be signed for a small fee and would become the world’s best striker in the game.
In real life, Samba was in the Millwall first team from 2002 until 2004 but never made a first-team appearance for the Lions. The forward struggled to make it in senior football, making just 52 league appearances at various levels and countries, including at Plymouth Argyle and Cadiz.
He played the last game of his career in 2012 and officially ended his playing career in 2015.
Forward: Freddy Adu
Like Samba, Adu developed a reputation as a bright young talent. However, the American forward was even younger than Samba when he caught the eye. In fact, from the age of 13, he was in the spotlight at MLS outfit DC United.
Adu went on to make 87 appearances for DC United over three seasons, scoring 11 goals. He moved on to Real Salt Lake for a season before a big move to Europe with Benfica in 2007.
He stayed with the Portuguese giants for four seasons but only made 11 appearances, spending most of the time on loan at other clubs. He struggled for games in the professional game. His last appearance came in 2018. At that point, he had made just 227 appearances, scoring 31 goals during his career.
Forward: Javier Saviola
The Argentinian forward first appeared in the game in CM99/00 as a 17-year-old at River Plate. Saviola was a true wonderkid who attracted the interest of many of the world’s biggest clubs after impressing in the youth ranks for club and country.
If I could get a work permit for him, Saviola would usually be one of my first signings on CM99/00. Signing the Argentinian starlet usually meant goals, goals and more goals.
His starting stats were unbelievable, and he usually became a world-beater, top goalscorer and Ballon d’Or winner. He was that good.
In real life, Saviola won the South American Footballer of the Year in 1999. His performances earned him a big-money move to Catalan giants Barcelona in 2001.
He was prolific in his first three seasons at Nou Camp, including scoring 21 goals in his debut campaign. He also went on to play for Sevilla, Real Madrid and Benfica, among other clubs. However, he never quite recreated his early goalscoring form from River Plate or Barcelona.
Saviola still had a decent career, but not quite the career that CM had mapped out for him.
Who was your favourite CM/FM wonderkid from our 11?
