Where Are They Now? #1 – 1997 England U20 World Cup Squad

“Where Are They Now?” is a new series focusing on what happened to the individual components of teams from the past. In the first edition, we learn the career paths of each member of the England Under 20 World Cup Squad of 1997 that was beaten by eventual champions Argentina in the second round.

1. David Lucas (Goalkeeper)

At 19 years old, then-Preston goalkeeper Lucas played in the loss to Argentina. He made 124 league appearances for Preston before embarking on a tour of the lower leagues that included stops at Swindon, Rochdale, Barnsley and his current employers, Fleetwood Town. He was also a part of the 2005 League One play-off winning Sheffield Wednesday team.

2. Matthew Upson (Defender)

18 year old Upson was still a Luton Town player at the time but was on the brink of joining Arsenal for £2 million. Never really got an opportunity to establish himself at Highbury and went on to join Birmingham, West Ham and Stoke. Made his England debut in 2003 and has managed to amass 21 caps and scored twice – both coming against the Germans.

3. Jason Crowe (Defender)

18 year old Crowe was just finishing his first full season on a professional deal at Arsenal. With Lee Dixon ahead of him, he rarely got a chance with his Gunners career highlight being sent off 33 seconds after coming on for his debut. Sold on to Portsmouth before joining teams like Grimsby, Northampton and Leyton Orient. Currently plays for Conference North side Corby Town.

4. Ronnie Wallwork (Midfielder)

Wallwork was one of three Manchester United players in this squad. He managed just 28 games at Old Trafford before spending time with West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday. More famous for having been sent to prison for 15 months in December 2011 for receiving stolen goods.

5. John Curtis (Midfielder/Defender)

A versatile player and another of the three United players in the squad, Curtis only managed 13 league appearances at Old Trafford before joining Blackburn, Portsmouth, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Wrexham, QPR and Australian side Gold Coast United. Currently without a club.

6. Marlon Broomes (Defender)

Centre back Broomes played for Blackburn at the time of the tournament and stayed for a further 4 years after before joining a variety of teams such as Sheffield Wednesday, Preston, Stoke, Blackpool, Tranmere and Clitheroe. Last played for Altrincham.

7. Jamie Carragher (Defender)

Scorer in the defeat to Argentina, Carragher had already made a scoring debut for Liverpool in the league before the tournament. Went on to establish himself as a key member of the Reds teams over the years. Won multiple trophies with Liverpool including the Champions League in 2005 and will go down in history as a “one-club man”. Made his England debut in 1999 and amassed 38 caps overall. Currently on the verge of retirement.

8. Jody Morris (Midfielder)

Having come through the ranks at Chelsea with John Terry, Morris played 124 times in the league for the Blues and was even club captain for a spell under Gianluca Vialli. Left Stamford Bridge in 2003 and has since played for Leeds, Rotherham, Millwall and St Johnstone. Last turned out for Bristol City and has been without a club since.

9. Ritchie Humphreys (Forward)

Humphreys was a Sheffield Wednesday player at the time of the tournament and at one point was linked with a £4 million move to Leeds. Left Wednesday in 2001 and joined Cambridge before joining current side Hartlepool. He has been there since and holds the record for appearances, making over 500 for the club.

10. Danny Murphy (Midfielder)

Murphy was on the verge of completing his move to Liverpool from Crewe at this tournament. Went on to become a loved figure at Liverpool before joining Charlton in 2004. He then joined Tottenham and Fulham before joining Blackburn in the summer of 2012. Made his England debut in 2001 and earned 9 caps with a solitary goal against Paraguay.

11. Clint Easton (Midfielder/Defender)

Playing for Watford at the time of the tournament, Easton made nearly 80 appearances for the Hornets before joining Norwich, Wycombe, Gillingham and Hereford. Last played for Ebbsfleet and he is currently without a club

12. Kieron Dyer (Midfielder)

Established a reputation as one of the most exciting English youngsters at the time while at Ipswich before joining Newcastle. He later went on to have injury-plagued spells at West Ham and QPR. Made his full England debut in 1999 and made 33 appearances in total. Recently released by Middlesbrough.

13. Mark Tyler (Goalkeeper)

Tyler made his debut for Peterborough in 1994 at just 17 and had played 10 times for the club before the tournament. Went on to make nearly 500 appearances for Posh before joining Luton Town of the Conference in 2009 where he still plays.

14. Jon Macken (Forward)

The third of the Manchester United players in the squad, Macken joined Preston shortly after the tournament where he established himself before joining Manchester City. His spell at City was injury plagued and he joined Crystal Palace in 2005 before leaving for Barnsley, Walsall and Northwich Victoria. Earned a solitary Republic of Ireland cap in 2004. Currently plays for Stockport County.

15. Paul Shepherd (Forward)

Shepherd began his career at hometown club Leeds United but only made 1 appearance before joining teams such as Ayr United, Keflavik of Iceland, Scarborough, Leigh RMI and Harrogate. Currently retired.

16. Jason Euell (Forward)

Pre-tournament Euell had already played 17 times for Premiership Wimbledon. He went on to make nearly 200 appearances for the Dons before joining Charlton where he made 155 appearances. He also played for Middlesbrough, Southampton, Blackpool and had a loan spell at AFC Wimbledon (the replacement for the defunct Wimbledon). He played 3 international games for Jamaica getting a solitary goal against Ghana. Currently retired.

17. Mark Jackson (Defender)

Jackson was the other Leeds player in the squad and, much like Paul Shepherd, found first team opportunities scarce. Left Elland Road for Scunthorpe and then played for Kidderminster and Rochdale. Joined Farsley Celtic and remained with the club after they were wound up by administrators in 2010. Still plays for AFC Farsley.

18. Michael Owen (Forward)

Owen was already earmarked as a hot prospect and had made a scoring debut for Liverpool in the league before the tournament. Post-tournament, Owen established himself as one of the best strikers not only in the Premiership but in the world. He earned the 2001 Ballon D’Or and was part of the Liverpool side that won a cup treble that year. Left for Real Madrid in 2004 before moving to Newcastle a year later. An injury plagued 4 years with the Magpies ended when he joined Manchester United winning a Premiership before joining Stoke in 2012. Made his England debut in 1998 and went on to make 89 appearances, scoring 40 times including a hat-trick in the Olympic Stadium in Munich against Germany and that goal against Argentina. Like Carragher, on the verge of retirement.

Ted Powell (Coach)

A top class amateur player in the 1960s and 1970s, Powell represented both England and the Great Britain team at amateur level. He played wing-half for Sutton United and Wycombe before managing both clubs. Became a coach at the FA, and later at Spurs for the youth, and became a prominent coach. Had a stint with the Malawi national team. Crowning achievement was winning the U18 European Championship with England in 1993. Passed away in 2005.

Hopefully you enjoyed this new series. Leave feedback and comments if you wish and let me know what teams you would like to see done next.

Thanks