During the mid-late 2000s, Aston Villa were a competitive force in the Premier League and were a perennial challenger for the European places and the domestic cup competitions.
They also had a talented crop of U21 players that stood toe-to-toe with the very best in English football at the time.
Villa’s youth team beat the likes of Rochdale, West Brom, Millwall, Fulham and Newcastle in a two-legged semi-final to reach the FA Youth Cup final against Chelsea.
In a well-fought contest, the two-legged final looked set to be heading to extra time with the tie level at 2-2 on aggregate before Conor Clifford’s strike seven minutes from time gave Chelsea the win.
How many of those Villa starlets went on to the first-team? We take a look at where they are now.
GK: Benjamin Siegriest
Villa signed Siegrist in a £150k deal from FC Basel in 2009 as a talented teenager but he never developed beyond the youth teams.
Siegrist had loan spells with Burton Albion, Cambridge United, Solihull Moors and Wycombe before leaving Villa last summer for FC Vaduz in a £210k deal.
RB: Durrell Berry
The 24-year-old Berry never made a first-team appearance for Villa and left the club in July 2011, joining Plymouth on a free transfer,
He’s enjoyed a rather nomadic career, leaving Plymouth for Torquay in 2014 prior to a January 2015 move to Cheltenham. Berry rejoined Torquay in September 2015.
CB: Daniel Devine
The centre-back scored the opening goal in the first-leg at Villa Park but that was as good as it got for him at the club.
Devine left the club on a free transfer in 2013 and joined Firhouse Clover and in January he completed a move to Shamrock Rovers.
CB: Derrick Williams
Unlike many others in this team, Williams actually made a first-team appearance for Villa, coming on as a second-half sub in a 1-1 draw against QPR in December 2012 and spent most of that season in and around the first-team.
However, the 24-year-old left the club that summer to play regular football and joined Bristol City. Following three successful years at Ashton Gate, he moved to Blackburn last summer where he has become a regular.
LB: Ellis Deeney
Deeney skippered the side in both legs but didn’t make the leap to the first-team.
The 25-year-old was released in the summer of 2011 and he joined Kettering Town on a free transfer. In January 2012, he left Kettering for Worcester City where he spent four years before joining Tamworth in January 2016.
RM: Ebby Nelson-Addy
Nelson-Addy never made a first-team squad for Villa prior to his 2012 release and it took him several months before he was picked up by Brackley in 2013.
A brief spell with Worcester City was followed by a return to Brackley before Hartlepool United brought him back to the Football League but after one season he returned to Worcester.
CM: Richard Blythe
Blythe’s efforts in the FA Youth Cup final were his last in a Villa short as he left the club that summer on a free transfer to join Barwell.
After a year with Barwell, he joined Rushall but left just six months later to join Rugby Town.
LM: Samir Carruthers
One of the stars of the team, Carruthers was promoted to the Villa first-team in 2012, making three Premier League appearances during the 2011/12 season.
After a successful loan with MK Dons in 2013/14, Carruthers saw his move made permanent for a reported £210k. Having enjoyed a good career with the Dons, the 23-year-old joined Sheffield United during last month’s transfer window.
FW: Ryan Simmonds
Simmonds was a regular for the youth side at Villa Park but after his 2010 release, he quit football.
FW: Tomos Roberts
After leaving Villa in 2011, Roberts had spells with The New Saints, Telford United, Colwyn Bay and Rhyl before being released in 2014 and he’s been out of football since.
CF: Kofi Poyser
Poyser scored the opening goal for Villa to give them the second-leg lead but never made it for the first-team.
In January 2015, he was jailed for a nightclub attack along with the rest of his gang.