ENGLAND’s 2022 World Cup squad incredibly has more players from Coventry City’s academy than Manchester United’s.
The Red Devils’ famous production line has provided players for the national team for generations.
But after Gareth Southgate’s squad announcement today, it appeared the club’s youth power is receding.
Marcus Rashford is the only United product who has landed himself a place in Qatar out of the 26 chosen.
Rashford successfully came through the club’s academy and then memorably burst onto the scene in 2016.
He has since gone on to become a regular first-teamer and even a social campaigner in his spare time.
But he is the only United success story who has made this year’s squad with some of his former youth team-mates, such as Jesse Lingard and Danny Welbeck, failing to impress in the later years of their careers.
And it means that Coventry can take more credit for the Qatar-bound team than Manchester United, with the Sky Blues developing two players.
James Maddison and Callum Wilson both made the squad after laying their football roots with the Midlands club.
The pair – whose inclusion in the 26 was on a knife-edge right until Southgate made the announcement – have both had to fight their way to the summit of English football.
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After leaving the Ricoh Arena in 2016, Maddison arrived at Norwich where he began to make a name for himself.
His attacking guile and quick feet saw Leicester City swoop for him in 2016 and Maddison goes into the tournament as arguably England’s most in-form player.
Meanwhile Wilson spent time on loan at non-league minnows such as Kettering Town before permanently moving to Bournemouth in 2014.
He made himself a deadly striker for the club before leaving for Newcastle in 2020.
His hot form this season despite some injury issues saw him leapfrog the likes of Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney to play the role of Harry Kane’s deputy.
