Nine years ago, Gareth Southgate celebrated his first win as England Under-21 manager at the-then Madejski Stadium.

A strike from Saido Berahino in September 2013 was the beginning of a fruitful spell as the former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa defender has risen through the ranks with the Three Lions- leading England to a World Cup semi-final and European Championship final.

This was the latest of five Under-21 internationals hosted in RG2 with a disappointing turnout of just over 5,000- more than 10,000 less than the previous four hosted in Berkshire.

Last night as Southgate’s first team were drawing 1-1 with Germany in Munich, the Young Lions were rolling past Albania in Chesterfield.

So, where are the England team from 2013 now?

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

Jack Butland- Crystal Palace

29-year-old Butland was a highly regarded youngster in September 2013 having just made a £3,500,000 move to Stoke City from Birmingham City. A regular in the Potteries, he made almost 200 appearances and nine full caps for the national team before departing in 2020. The first-choice keeper for the GB Olympic squad in 2012, he has fallen short of his sky-high expectations and is now back-up shot stopper at Crystal Palace.

Andre Wisdom- Unattached

A highly rated product of the Liverpool Academy, Wisdom played 37 times for the England youth teams but failed to ever make his full debut for the senior side. Playing 22 times for Liverpool, he is best known for a four-year spell with Derby County, which ended last summer with more than 100 appearances. He has been without a club since leaving the Rams in 2021.

John Stones- Manchester City

Now 28, Stones is one of the more successful from the 2013 squad who ran out at the SCL Stadium. Then just half a season into a three-year stint with Everton, the Barnsley-born defender became the second-most expensive defender of all time in 2016 when he jumped across to Manchester City. Almost 200 appearances, and seven major honours later, Stones is an integral part of the Citizens team and has cemented himself as an England regular with more than half a century of caps.

Michael Keane- Everton

Playing for the Republic of Ireland up until Under-19s, he became a regular for the England Under-21s from 2013 when the defender was at Manchester United. Making just five appearances for the Red Devils, he made a full-time switch to Burnley in 2015 and was one of the higher-level performers for Sean Dyche’s Premier League regulars. Everton splashed out almost £30,000,000 for the centre-back in 2017, just months after making his England debut, and he has become a regular at Goodison Park with more than 200 appearances and another 11 caps for his country.

Luke Shaw- Manchester United

Tipped for greatness from an incredibly young age, Shaw had made more than 65 appearances for Southampton by the time he turned 19 as Manchester United made him the world’s most expensive teenager in 2014. Having peaks and troughs at Old Trafford, he missed six months with a fractured leg and was slammed by former manager Jose Mourinho during his time in the North-West; but he has bounced back to become one of the most consistent performers for the giants. Still only 26, he has played more than 20 times for the first team and famously opened the scoring in the 2020 European Championships final at Wembley Stadium.

Nathaniel Chalobah- Fulham

A graduate of the fabled Chelsea academy, the midfielder played an incredible 40 times for the England Under-21s side. Spending six loan spells away from Stamford Bridge, including one with Reading in 2015, he joined Watford on a permanent deal in 2017. Four years at Vicarage Road came to an end last season as he moved to Fulham, where he helped the Cottagers to Premier League promotion. Now 27, he has made one appearances for the full England team in 2018.

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

James Ward-Prowse- Southampton

Another prodigy out of St Mary’s, Ward-Prowse made his debut aged just 16 and has made more than 300 appearances for the Saints. A free-kick specialist, he played more than 30 times for the Under 21s and has become a regular squad member in the full team over recent months. Now 27, he has played 10 times for the Three Lions since 2017.

Tom Carroll- unattached

Playing 50 times for Tottenham in seven years, the midfielder spent four loan spells away from White Hart Lane before arriving in South Wales permanently with Swansea City. 85 appearances at the Liberty Stadium came to an end in 2020, with short term deals at QPR and Ipswich Town following. He was released at the end of this season and is yet to find a new club. The 30-year-old played almost 20 times for the England Under 21s but has so far failed to earn a full cap for his country.

Nathan Redmond- Southampton

Lightning-quick winger Redmond broke onto the scene with boyhood club Birmingham City in 2011 before being snapped up by Premier League Norwich City. More than 35 appearances in each of his three years at Carrow Road, the Birmingham-born star was a regular before joining Southampton for more than £10,000,000 in 2016. More than 230 appearances later, and still only 28, the one-cap-wonder is a firm favourite on the South Coast.

Wilfried Zaha- Crystal Palace

Fresh from his move to Old Trafford, Zaha was one of the main attractions at RG2 in 2013. Despite failing to make the grade at Manchester United, almost 400 appearances for his boyhood Crystal Palace has earned his many a suitor. Playing just twice for England, he switched his allegiances to Ivory Coast in 2017 and has since made almost 30 times for the African country.

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

Saido Berahino- unattached

Another who is no longer ‘English’, the striker has been playing for Burundi since 2018. A teenage sensation at West Brom, he notched 11 in 12 games for the Under-21s but a move to Stoke City coincided with a drop off in form for the 28-year-old. After two years away in Belgium, Berahino returned to English football with the Sheffield Wednesday in August but has been released by the Owls following their defeat in the League One play-offs.