Lucas Hernández

Lucas Hernández was born in Marseille in 1996 but grew up in Madrid, where he and his brother Theo came through Atlético's academy. He made his first-team debut in 2014.

A remarkable 2018

Able to play at centre-back or left-back, Lucas was aggressive, quick and brave. In May 2018 he won the UEFA Europa League with Atlético in Lyon; in July he won the World Cup with France in Russia; and in August he added the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid. Few academy players have had a year like it.

Legacy

In 2019 Bayern Munich paid his release clause, one of the biggest fees ever paid for a defender at the time. He played around 70 league games for Atlético, and he remains a proud example of what the academy can produce.