After that solid 2-nil victory against Villarreal in the Champions League, there is another proud moment for the club as Manchester City’s famous academy, five of their brightest youngsters have been called up to represent England at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar.
The selected players, Dante Headley, Harrison Miles, Ryan McAidoo, Reigan Heskey, and Kaden Braithwaite, were all included in Neil Ryan’s 21-man squad, further proving the consistent strength and depth of City’s youth setup Manchester City were so pleased to make the announcemwnt with a post via their official X account.
They Posted:
Five City Academy players have been selected to represent England at the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup
Ryan McAidoo, Dante Headley, Kaden Braithwaite, Reigan Heskey, Harrison Miles, Congratulations, lads!
Softfootball understands that the Young Lions’ journey begins on Tuesday, 4 November, with a Group A opener against Venezuela. They’ll then face Haiti on 7 November, before rounding off the group stage against Egypt on 10 November. The competition will feature a record 48 teams, with knockout rounds following soon after, leading up to the final on 27 November. Fans can catch every game live on FIFA+, where the future of English football will be on full display.
This latest recognition serves as a major testament to City Football Academy’s ability to produce top-tier talent. All five players have already worn the Three Lions shirt at youth level — four of them (McAidoo, Braithwaite, Heskey, and Miles) featured in the U17 EURO finals in Albania earlier this year.
Their chemistry and tournament experience could be crucial as England aim to recreate the magic of their 2017 World Cup-winning squad, which famously included Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, this is something that will have fans’ tongues wagging just as they reacted to City’s last Champions League triumph.
Since its establishment, Manchester City’s Academy has remained one of Europe’s most productive, developing 84 players who’ve gone on to play senior football, with 38 earning full international caps. The call-ups of these five rising stars once again highlight City’s unmatched focus on technical growth, tactical awareness, and mental resilience — qualities that continue to define their player pathway.
England’s full U17 World Cup squad is:
Jack Porter (Arsenal), Dante Headley (Manchester City), Landon Emenalo (Chelsea), Harrison Miles (Manchester City), Jun’ai Byfield (Tottenham Hotspur), Freddie Simmonds (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ryan McAidoo (Manchester City), Seth Ridgeon (Fulham), Alejandro Rodriguez (Olympique Lyonnais), Luca Williams-Barnett (Tottenham Hotspur), Tynan Thompson (Tottenham Hotspur), Bradley Burrowes (Aston Villa), Lanre Awesu (West Ham), Reigan Heskey (Manchester City), Kaden Braithwaite (Manchester City), Bendito Mantato (Manchester United), Igor Tyjon (Blackburn Rovers), Chizaram Ezenwata (Chelsea), Reggie Walsh (Chelsea), Louis Page (Leicester City),Dylan Moody (Southampton)
Everyone connected with Manchester City has sent their congratulations and best wishes to Dante, Harrison, Ryan, Reigan, and Kaden. The club and its fans, will be watching proudly as these young Lions chase glory for England and set an example for the next wave of academy hopefuls.
