Football Manager 2006 Wonderkids !new! -

The Class of '06: Legends and "What-Ifs" of Football Manager 2006 Looking back at Football Manager 2006

• Cost: £20-30M (worth every penny)
• The verdict: 20 for passing, 19 for creativity. Your playmaker for 15 years. Dictates tempo like nobody else.

The match is a brutal, tense affair. The opposition takes the lead early on. Alex desperately tweaks his sliders. He pushes his defensive line higher. He checks his players' condition. They are exhausted, but they have heart. In the 88th minute, a breakthrough occurs: Guarín wins a fierce tackle in the center circle. He sprays a 40-yard pass out wide to a sprinting Nani. Nani beats his man and whips a low cross into the box. football manager 2006 wonderkids

Thomas blinked. The smell of stale tea and wet grass replaced the smell of his apartment. He was standing on a training pitch. The sky was grey, but the floodlights were blindingly bright. The Class of '06: Legends and "What-Ifs" of

• Position: D (C), DM
• Verdict: Before he became a Manchester City legend in real life, he was a defensive wall in Belgium. You could sign him for around £5M–£8M. He becomes the best defender in the world within 3 seasons.

(Barcelona): Just breaking through in real life at the time, he is a must-buy if you can afford the massive fee. Freddy Adu Cost: £20-30M (worth every penny) The verdict: 20

FM 2006 is often remembered for how many future icons it correctly identified. If you had the budget to sign these players, you were effectively securing a decade of dominance.

• Cost: £6-8M
• The verdict: The ultimate utility wonderkid. Captain material at 18. Play him at CB or DM – he wins everything in the air and can pass like a midfielder.