Which club’s academies have produced the England 2026 World Cup squad?
Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup has been named and here’s the academies that have provided the 26-strong squad.
Whether they developed in a Big Six academy or enjoyed their football education further down the pyramid, England’s squad members came through a variety of different settings.
Harry Maguire and Cole Palmer were the surprise omissions from the squad but here’s who made the players that did get a seat on the plane.
Jordan Pickford – Sunderland
Pickford is a proud Mackem and joined their youth academy in 2002 when he was just eight years old.
He progressed through the ranks before moving up to the first team in 2011. A series of loans followed before making his breakthrough in January 2016. A year and a half later and he joined Everton.
Dean Henderson – Manchester United
Henderson was born in Cumbria and so had his first footballing experience at Carlisle United before being poached by Manchester United.
He joined their academy at the age of 14 but only made 29 appearances for the first team.
James Trafford – Manchester City
There is symmetry between Dean Henderson and Trafford as both spent time in the Carlisle setup before moving to Manchester.
But while Henderson went to the red side, Trafford went to the blue and joined City in 2015 at the age of 12.
He signed a professional contract ahead of the 2020–21 season before loans at Accrington Stanley and Bolton. In 2023, he was bought by Burnley but is back at the Etihad, for now.
Dan Burn – Darlington
‘He’s from Blyth’ sing the Newcastle fans and while he did play for that team’s youth academy, Burn’s young career was a bit all over the shop.
He was released by Newcastle at the age of 11 before playing at local teams New Hartley, Blyth Town and Blyth Spartans.
In 2009, he joined Darlington who gave him his first professional contract.
Marc Guehi – Chelsea
Born in Cote d’Ivoire, Guehi and his family moved to London when he was one and his first football club was semi-professional side Cray Wanderers in Chislehurst, London.
One of the coaches there, Steve Owen, also did scouting for Chelsea and so Guehi was given a trial with the Blues. He joined the Stamford Bridge side at the age of seven and stayed until 2021 when he joined Palace.
Reece James – Chelsea
James bounced around several clubs before eventually finding his way to the Chelsea first team.
His starts came with Kew Park Rangers and then Epsom Eagles and even after joining Chelsea in 2006, he left for Fulham the year after.
In 2008, he returned to Chelsea where he has largely remained ever since barring a loan to Wigan in the 2018–19 season.
Ezri Konsa – Charlton Athletic
Konsa was a boyhood Spurs fan, but his start actually came with Charlton.
He joined them at the age of 11 before signing a professional deal in 2016.
Tino Livramento – Chelsea
Another Chelsea graduate is Livramento, who was at the London club’s academy from 2009 to 2021.
He made his professional debut with Southampton in 2021 before joining Newcastle in 2023.
Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City
O’Reilly is one of many to come through the City academy having joined when he was eight years old.
He played his way up through the age groups before making his first team debut in 2024.
Jarell Quansah – Liverpool
Quansah spent 15 years in the Liverpool academy before turning professional.
He then spent a season on loan at Bristol Rovers before returning to the Anfield side. He now plays his football for Bayer Leverkusen.
Djed Spence – Middlesbrough
Born in Kensington, Spence earned his early football at Fulham but never turned professional there.
He instead moved to Middlesbrough in July 2018 and got his first taste of senior football in the EFL Cup.
John Stones – Barnsley
Barnsley boy Stones joined his local club’s youth academy when he was seven and signed a professional contract in 2011.
He made his first team debut a year later and 10 months later, he signed for Everton for £3m.
City came calling in 2016 for a fee of £47.5m, making him the then second most expensive defender in history behind David Luiz.
Elliot Anderson – Newcastle United
Born in Whitley Bay, Anderson came through the Newcastle academy from 2010 to 2021.
However, PSR forced Newcastle to find some extra cash and the sale of Anderson to Nottingham Forest was sanctioned.
Jude Bellingham – Birmingham City
The fact they retired his number should have been a giveaway but yes, Bellingham is a Birmingham graduate.
He joined them in 2010 and signed a professional contract in 2019, spending just a single season there before moving to Dortmund.
Eberechi Eze – QPR
Eze famously played for the Arsenal academy before being let go, after which he joined Fulham.
Three years with the South London club preceded a year at Reading and then Millwall but the Lions did not offer him a professional contract.
A trial at QPR was overseen by Chris Ramsey who backed the club to sign him.
Jordan Henderson – Sunderland
Like Pickford, Henderson is a Sunderland native and was with their youth academy for 10 years before turning professional.
He made 79 appearances for his boyhood club before joining Liverpool.
Kobbie Mainoo – Manchester United
As the Old Trafford crowd will remind you, Mainoo is one of Manchester United’s own.
He was born in Stockport and, after time at non-league sides Cheadle & Gatley and Failsworth Dynamos, he joined United’s youth academy before debuting in May 2022.
Declan Rice – West Ham
Chelsea have plenty of ones that got away in their history but Rice is one of the worst.
He was in their academy from 2006 to 2013, but was released and West Ham took up that opportunity.
He made his Hammers debut in 2015 before a £100million move to Arsenal eight years later.
Morgan Rogers – West Brom
He may play for Villa now, but Rogers is actually a product of West Brom’s academy.
He joined them in 2010 at the age of seven and made his professional debut nine years later.
He was quickly bought by City but never actually featured for the Manchester club.
Anthony Gordon – Everton
The reverse Jamie Carragher, Gordon spent time in the Liverpool academy before moving to Everton in 2012.
He spent five years in their youth academy before graduating in 2017.
Harry Kane – Tottenham
Don’t tell Tottenham fans but Kane actually spent a short period of time in the Arsenal youth set-up.
That was sandwiched between spells at Ridgeway Rovers and then Watford before joining Spurs in 2004.
In 2011, he made his first team debut at Leyton Orient. He’s done alright since.
Noni Madueke – PSV Eindhoven
Born in Barnet, Madueke bounced around a number of youth academies.
His first was Palace who he was at from 2011 to 2014 before he spent four years at Tottenham.
However, he made the unusual move to the Netherlands to join PSV Eindhoven where he turned professional.
Marcus Rashford – Manchester United
Although his time at the club now looks over, Rashford is a successful graduate of the Manchester United academy.
He spent a decade there before Louis van Gaal gave him his first team debut in February 2016.
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
Saka was originally in the Watford youth academy but moved at an early age to join Arsenal’s.
He arrived at the Hale End academy at the age of seven before making his first team debut in November 2018.
Ivan Toney – Northampton Town
Toney plays his football in Saudi now but started his career at Northampton Town.
He began at the Cobblers and became the youngest player to represent the club when he joined in 2012.
He did later join rivals Peterborough but best not bring that up in front of any Cobblers fans.
Ollie Watkins – Exeter City
Devon is not known for producing too many England players, but one of the most notable ones is Torquay native Watkins.
He joined the Exeter City youth setup in 2004 and spent a decade there before making it to the first team.
Clubs where the England squad turned professional
Chelsea – 3
Manchester United – 3
Manchester City – 2
Sunderland – 2
Arsenal – 1
Barnsley – 1
Birmingham City – 1
Charlton Athletic – 1
Darlington – 1
Everton – 1
Exeter City – 1
Liverpool – 1
Middlesbrough – 1
Newcastle United – 1
Northampton Town – 1
PSV Eindhoven – 1
Queens Park Rangers – 1
Tottenham Hotspur – 1
West Bromwich Albion – 1
West Ham United – 1
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