Check out our list of players that Premier League clubs allowed to pass them by as young stars.
SEE MORE:
Bayern Munich christmas party
Why Moussa Sissoko should be January’s most wanted
10) Ron-Robert Zieler (Manchester United)
A short loan spell at Northampton Town was the only first team experienced that goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler experienced at Old Trafford – he would depart for Hannover and become one of the Bundesliga’s finest and a German international.
9) Fraser Forster (Newcastle United)
England international goalkeeper Fraser Forster found the frame of Tim Krul blocking the path to the Newcastle first team. He left for Celtic in search of opportunities and is now at Southampton – and arguably better than Krul.
8) Danny Ings (Southampton)
Southampton don’t tend to allow young talent to pass them by, but they released striker Danny Ings as a schoolboy. He moved to Bournemouth to make his name and is now scoring Premier League goals with Burnley.
7) Denis Suarez (Manchester City)
Young Spaniard Denis Suarez never acclimatised to life at Manchester City and was allowed to return home to Barcelona, where he is now viewed as a real star of the future.
6) Shkodran Mustafi (Everton)
Central defender Shkodran Mustafi was signed as a youngster from Hamburg by David Moyes, but he was never given a chance and departed for Sampdoria, earning a big move to Valencia and becoming a full German international.
5) Eric Dier (Everton)
Young defender Eric Dier is now making waves in his first season with Tottenham Hotspur, but Everton once had him on loan from Sporting Lisbon as a teenager – they decided against making it permanent.
4) Tyrone Mings (Southampton)
Another player who Southampton missed out on was young full back Tyrone Mings, who is now at Ipswich Town and a target for Arsenal and Chelsea. He had to rebuild his career at Bristol Rovers, Yate Town and Chippenham Town.
3) Gerard Pique (Manchester United)
Pique was signed from Barcelona as a teenager by Sir Alex Ferguson, but United never put their trust in the now Spanish international, sending him on loan to Real Zaragoza and then selling him back to Barca.
2) Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
Serbian international Matic is now back at Chelsea and perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the world – which makes their decision to ignore him and sell him to Benfica in the first place all the more perplexing.
1) Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
If only Ferguson had given into Pogba’s demands for first team football at Old Trafford, United could have the best young player in the world on their hands – rather than in Juventus’.