What happened to the boys who stood next to Marcus Rashford and Axel Tuanzebe in that famous school photo?
A photo taken at Ashton-on-Mersey School in Greater Manchester has been making the rounds on social media ahead of this week’s World Cup round of 32 match between England and DR Congo.
In the picture, Marcus Rashford, who might start for England in Atlanta on Wednesday, is at the front, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Next to him is his old Manchester United teammate Axel Tuanzebe, who’s wearing a burgundy blazer and shirt. Tuanzebe is expected to play for DR Congo against Thomas Tuchel’s team.
Both Rashford and Tuanzebe went to the state school in Sale, where several other Manchester United academy players have studied over the years, including Ryan Giggs, Angel Gomes, Scott McTominay, and Kobbie Mainoo.
Also in the photo are Tosin Kehinde and Jimmy Dunne, who went to the same school near the club’s Carrington training ground. Here’s what happened to them about ten years later:
Kehinde joined United in 2011 and stayed for seven years before turning down a contract in 2018 to get more first-team chances. Many clubs were interested, including Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but he chose to sign with Portuguese team CD Feirense in 2019.
“I didn’t have a great time in Portugal,” Kehinde told The Daily Mirror in 2022. “I didn’t play much, and I felt a bit misled about what they told me before I went there.”
He was loaned to Danish top-flight club Randers for the 2019/20 season. After doing well, Randers signed him permanently. He played over 100 games for them before moving to Ferencvarosi, Hungary’s most successful club, on a three-year deal. There, he won two league titles.
Currently, Kehinde plays for Turkish second division side Bandırmaspor.
In a 2021 interview with the Manchester Evening News, Kehinde spoke about his former teammates Rashford and Tuanzebe after the photo went viral. “We trained and went to school together every day. Marcus, Axel, and I shared most of the same classes, so I spent a lot of my teenage years with them,” he said. “They’re pretty busy now, but I still check in on them sometimes and tell them I’m proud of them.”
Jimmy Dunne joined United’s Belfast academy when he was just 10. While with United, he also played for St Kevin’s Boys and Rock Celtic in Ireland before moving to Manchester and attending Ashton-on-Mersey with Rashford and Tuanzebe.
Unlike his friends, Dunne didn’t play for United’s first team. He joined Burnley’s development squad in 2016. “Manchester United is a big club that’s been good to me since I was 10, helping me grow as a player and person,” he said at the time.
Dunne had loan spells at Barrow, Accrington Stanley, Hearts, Sunderland, and Fleetwood Town. After only a few first-team games with Burnley, he signed for Queens Park Rangers in summer 2021. Now 28, he’s made over 200 appearances for QPR and has earned three caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Just to keep you updated: Axel Tuanzebe plays for Championship side Burnley, while Marcus Rashford is still at Manchester United after loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona.