Sunderland U21

Jordan Pickford spent his teenage years training on a pitch that belongs to a colliery welfare club, not to Sunderland at all. The Under-21 side still plays most of its home fixtures at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground in Hetton-le-Hole, and only shifts to the Stadium of Light for a handful of matches each season to satisfy Premier League 2 rules. Pickford broke into Sunderland's first team from that academy in 2016 and left for Everton a year later for a fee that set a British record for a goalkeeper; he now keeps goal for England.

Jordan Henderson came through the same system a decade earlier, making his debut in 2007 before Liverpool paid roughly £12 million for him in 2011 and he went on to captain England. Jack Colback stayed longer, working his way to 135 appearances before joining Newcastle United in 2014.

Robin Nicholls now runs the academy with Graeme Murty leading the Under-21 group, which this season competes in Premier League 2 Division 2 and the Premier League Cup.