The 30 most promising players in Atletico's academy at the start of the decade: Where are they now? LaLiga Santander - Atletico Madrid Several have made it to LaLiga Santander

The reputation of Atletico Madrid's academy has grown and grown in recent years and there is now a strong core of youth academy graduates in the first-team squad.

Even many of those who didn't make it at the capital city club have gone on to establish themselves as LaLiga Santander players at other clubs.

Of course, some didn't quite make it, and we take a look here at where the 30 most promising players of the Atleti academy at the start of the decade have ended up now.

Included are 30 players who were playing at any level between the 'cadetes' and the B team in the year 2011.

Joel Robles (Real Betis, 29, goalkeeper)

An injury to Sergio Asenjo saw Robles debut with Atletico Madrid's first team away at Sporting Gijon at the age of 19, while he also played some low-key matches the next year. However, the recovery of Asenjo and the arrival on loan of Thibaut Courtois saw him go on loan to Rayo Vallecano in the winter market of the 2011/12 season. From there, he went on loan to Wigan and was part of the team that won the FA Cup, before joining Everton and then moving to Real Betis after five years of not featuring much. Right now, he is the starter at the Andalusian club.

David Gil (Cadiz, 26, goalkeeper)

Gil never did debut with the first team and left for Getafe at the age of 20, after almost a decade in the Rojiblanco academy. From there, he moved on to Cadiz and is currently in his third season there, where is being given the goalkeeping gloves for Copa Del Rey matches.

Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich, 24, centre-back)

After five successful years in the Atletico Madrid first team, during which time he established himself as a key member of the Rojiblanco's back line, and even found time to win a World Cup with France, the defender signed for German giants Bayern Munich in search of pastures new in the summer of 2019. His new team sat at the top of the Bundesliga before Europe's major leagues were suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Javier Manquillo (Newcastle, England, 24, right-back)

Aged 17, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, but that 2011/12 tie against Albacete wasn't a happy one and it led to Gregorio Manzano's sacking and Diego Simeone's arrival. He debuted in the league and the Champions League under Simeone, but didn't have many opportunities and later went out on loan to Liverpool, Marseille and Sunderland, before ending up signing for Newcastle on a permanent deal.

Jorge Pulido (Huesca, 28, centre-back)

After coming through the academy and making his first-team debut in 2010/11, he actually switched to Castilla in 2013 and spent the 2013/14 season there. Following a few months without a club, he signed with Albacete and then Belgian side Sint-Truiden. Then, in 2017, the centre-back returned to Spain and to Huesca, with whom he earned promotion to LaLiga Santander. He played with them in the top division and now continues to do so in the second tier, after they suffered a relegation straight back down.

Kader (Club Africain, Tunisia, 28, right-back)

In the first round of the 2012/13 LaLiga Santander season, he made his first-team debut against Levante and even played a couple of Europa League games that year. A loan to Numancia followed in 2014, before he rescinded his Atleti contract and moved to Club Africain of Tunisia and then to Saudi Arabian side Al-Fateh. He has now returned to Club Africain after the short spell in Saudi Arabia.

Theo Hernandez (AC Milan, 22, left-back)

The brother of Lucas Hernandez never actually debuted for the first team, but that didn't make his 2017 cross-city switch to Real Madrid any less controversial. He had excelled on loan at Alaves in the 2016/17 season and there were high hopes him, but he joined Los Blancos for 24 million euros. He hardly had any chances in his first season there and was sent to Real Sociedad on loan in the 2018-19 season. Hernandez subsequently signed for AC Milan in Serie A, where he is finding first team action easier to come by.

Sergi Gonzalez (NK Istra, Croatia 24, left-back)

Gonzalez made his first-team debut against Elche in the Copa del Rey in October 2017 , while also playing in the Europa League against Copenhagen in the same season. He was subsequently allowed to move on during the summer of 2018 and he joined Armenian side Ararat, before returning to Spain with Alaves and then being sent out on loan to Croatian outfit NK Istra.

Nacho Monsalve (NAC Breda, Holland, 25, centre-back)

His one and only game with the first team came when he was 21 years of age, as he took part in a 5-1 league win over Real Betis. In the summer of 2016, he joined Deportivo La Coruna and played for their B team. A stint at Recreativo Huelva followed, before he joined Dutch side Twente in the summer of 2018 and then linked up with fellow Eredivisie team NAC Breda in 2019.

Luis Acosta (CD Guijuelo, 25, centre-back)

He never managed to play for Atletico's first team or their B team and has passed through the ranks of Olimpic de Xativa, Pobla de Mafumet, Getafe B, Navalcarnero, Burgos and Guijuelo.

Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid, 25, midfielder)

One of the best Spanish midfielders around, Saul is an undisputed starter at Atleti and, after Luis Enrque's arrival, also with the national team. Diego Simeone granted him his debut at just 17 in a Europa League win over Besiktas, before he received his LaLiga Santander debut at 18. A loan at Rayo Vallecano allowed him to find regularity before returning to the Rojiblancos where he has established himself as a key player since 2015/16.

Vicente Romero (UCAM Murcia 31, midfielder)

The majority of his career has been spent in Segunda B, where he first featured for Atletico B before moving on to Conquense, Talavera, Rayo Majadahonda, Cultural Leonesa and currently UCAM Murcia.

Sergio Cidoncha (Kerala Blasters, India, 29, midfielder)

Without ever getting near the first team, Cidoncha managed almost 60 games for Atletico B in the Segunda B and featured 29 times on loan at Real Zaragoza. At the end of his 2013/14 spell on loan there he left for Albacete on a free, before a stint at Ponferradina proved to be his last in Spain. He is now forging a career for himself in the Indian Super League, first with Jamshedpur and now with Kerala Blasters.

Sergio Marcos (Cultural Leonesa, 28, midfielder)

He managed almost 90 Atletico B appearances in Segunda B before reaching 20 years of age, but then left for Villarreal, earning a first-team debut during the 2014/15 season at the age of 23, going on to play seven times for Marcelino. Lugo was home the following season before he moved on to Valladolid where he stayed until January 2017. He has since joined Cultural Leonesa and even knocked Atletico Madrid out of the Copa del Rey with his new club in the 2019/20 season.

Ruben Perez (Leganes, 30, midfielder)

A globetrotter who has enjoyed a top-flight career for almost a decade now. Quique Sanchez Flores handed him his debut on the final day of the 2009/10 LaLiga Santander season as they fell to a 3-0 defeat to Getafe. From then, he lived life on the road and played for Deportivo, Getafe, Real Betis, Elche, Torino and Granada, all in top tiers. He is now in his fourth season at Leganes.

Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, 26, midfielder)

Thomas played 33 games for Atletico B before moving to Mallorca and Almeria on loan. He impressed and earned a place in the Rojiblancos first team and he has now become an important member of the squad.

Sebastian Gallegos (Central Espanol, Uruguay, 28, playmaker)

After two seasons with the youth team during which time he played just 10 games for Atletico B, Gallegos left on loan for Badalona, playing just eight Segunda B games. Since leaving Atleti he has been all around the world, playing in Italy for Como, in Uruguay for Penerol and Atenas de San Carlos, in Peru for Real Garcilaso, in Chile for Cobresal and in Australia for Hawkesbury City. He has since returned to Uruguay with Central Espanol.

Alberto Perea (Cadiz, 29, playmaker)

Quique Sanchez Flores handed him a Copa del Rey debut with the first team and he went on to make three appearances in the competition, including one against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Since, he has played for Rayo, Llagostera, Olot and Barcelona B before joining Cadiz.

Dani Marquez (Silla CF, 25, midfielder)

At the beginning of 2013/14 he asked to leave and eventually signed for Villarreal C after spending a month without a team. After that, he showed up at San Roque Lepe, Alcorcon B, CE Europa, CF Borriol, Conil and now Silla CF in the Spanish fourth tier.

Borja Martinez (Getafe B, 25 midfielder)

Another who never made it to the first team, before leaving in 2014/15. Martinez headed to Espanyol B, from where he has moved onto Atletico Balaeres, Parla and now Getafe's B team.

Rodrigo Hernandez (Manchester City, England, 23, midfielder)

Rodri began his first team career at Villarreal in 2015, following his release from the Atletico Madrid academy in 2013. His subsequently excellent performances for the Yellow Submarine prompted the Rojiblancos to resign him in 2018, and he then moved on to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Oliver Torres (Sevilla, 25 playmaker)

On the opening day of the 2012/13 season Torres was given his debut at just 17 by Simeone, ending the season with eight appearances, though none came as a starter. He moved to Villarreal in January 2014 before joining Porto on loan the following season, and then returning to Spain in 2019 to link up with former Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui at Sevilla.

Koke (Atletico Madrid, 28, midfielder)

One of Spain's best midfielders today, Koke featured at the World Cup in Russia for La Roja and has won LaLiga Santander, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League and the Spanish and European Super Cups with Atleti. He is Simeone's captain.

Ivan Alejo (Cadiz, 25 winger)

Alejo arrived at Atleti in 2011 from Valladolid and never appeared for the first team. For the B team he played 22 games in Segunda B and was then loaned to Alcorcon where he made the jump to the Segunda. After debuting in the top flight with Eibar, he moved on to Getafe and then Cadiz.

Alberto Noguera (Numancia, 30, playmaker)

Quique Sanchez Flores handed him his debut in LaLiga Santander although minutes were at a premium. He spent time with Blackpool in England and FK Baku in Azerbaijan before returning to Spain to enjoy three seasons in Segunda B with Trival Valderas, Fuenlabrada and Lorca. He is now with Numancia.

Arona Sane (NK Istra, Croatia, 24, winger)

He was handed a debut last season for Atleti in a 2-0 defeat to Espanyol and, after 35 Segunda B appearances for Atletico B, he left in 2018 for Croatia.

Juan Moreno (Real Betis B, 22, midfielder)

At 19 he was handed a debut in the Copa del Rey after 11 years in the youth team, but left in the summer of 2019 for Cartagena. After a short spell at Navalcerno in the Tercera Division, he joined Real Betis's B team, where he remains today.

Pedro Martin (Gimnastic de Tarragona, 28, forward)

The penultimate round of the 2011/12 season saw him debut for the first team under Simeone before playing three times in the Europa League the following season. During that campaign he left to join Numancia on loan. Since then he has spent time at Mirandes, Celta B, Murcia and Lleida and is now on the books of Gimnastic.

Borja Baston (Aston Villa, 27, striker)

After impressing with the youth teams he debuted at 17 under Quique Sanchez Flores but suffered a serious injury after just 21 minutes on the pitch and they are his only minutes in the Rojiblancos shirt. Murcia, Huesca, Deportivo and Zaragoza followed before impressing at Eibar and then moving to Swansea, Malaga, Alaves and now Aston Villa in the Premier League, where he has played only one game.

Roberto Nunez (Las Palmas Atletico, 24, striker)

He was the top scorer in the 2015/16 Youth League, before Nunez debuted and scored for the first team in the Copa del Rey against Guijuelo. After 11 years in the youth team, he moved to Belgium to play for Royal Antwerp and then returned to Spain to Las Palmas' academy in the summer of 2018, where he now plays in Segunda B.