Casillas leads the way

As the UEFA European Under-17 Championship begins in Denmark, uefa.com looks at Spain, a country whose unparalleled success at bringing players through the youth ranks to senior honours shows no sign of abating.

Unrivalled record
Spain's record in youth football is second to none. They have won the UEFA European Under-16 Championship on no less than six occasions (1986, 1988, 1991, 1997, 1999 and 2001) and are among the favourites to win the competition in its new Under-17 format when the finals commence in Denmark on Saturday.

Canny coach
Much of Spain's success can be credited to their long-term coach Juan Santisteban, who has won an astonishing seven youth titles since assuming control of the side in 1988. However, despite his bulging trophy cabinet, Santisteban's philosophies are universally lauded for their emphasis on producing good footballers rather than simply winning titles. Such a philosophy has ensured that the youngsters Santisteban shepherds through the ranks frequently go on to achieve further success at senior level.

Success story
One of the most striking recent success stories of the Spanish Under-16 side is Real Madrid CF's Iker Casillas. This highly rated goalkeeper was a product of the Madrid youth system, having joined the club aged eight, and is now looking forward to a trip to the FIFA World Cup finals in Korea/Japan.

Brilliant displays
Casillas was in goal for the Spanish teams that won the Under-16 European Championship in 1997, as well as the Meridian Cup and FIFA World Youth Championships in 1999. By then he had also made his first-team debut for Madrid as an unused substitute in a UEFA Champions League tie with Rosenborg BK in 1997. He overtook Bodo Illgner as the No1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 1999/00 season, earning plaudits across Europe for his brilliant displays as Madrid won the UEFA Champions League.

Natural successor to Zubizaretta
Still only 20, Casillas's form has dipped recently and he has been in and out of the Madrid side this season. Nevertheless, he is still being tipped to become the country's first long-term No1 since the retirement of Andoni Zubizaretta.

Possible challenger
A possible challenger to Casillas at international level in future years is José Manuel Reina Paez – another graduate of Spain's Under-16 side. This promising young goalkeeper is the son of former FC Barcelona, Club Atlético de Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Miguel Angel Reina. Called into the first team at the Camp Nou in the 2000/01 season after injuries to those above him in the pecking order, Reina went on to make a total of 19 appearances and impressed on many occasions. This year Reina has mainly played second fiddle to Roberto Banano, but he has still managed to clock up another ten appearances and three clean sheets.

Other former youth stars
Casillas and Reina's status as success stories of the Spanish youth football system is far from unique. Among the other players to have plied their trade at Under-16 level en route to success at a higher level are Athletic Club Bilbao pair Joseba Etxeberria and Julen Guerrer, Barcelona duo Dani García and Alfonso Pérez, Madrid's Albert Celades and S.S. Lazio's Iván de la Peña. This sextet alone have gone on to win 124 full international caps between them.

Record set to continue
With the likes of Mikel Arteta, a recent Under-16 graduate who is currently impressing on loan at Paris Saint-Germain FC, Casillas and Reina all lighting the way for future generations, Spain's remarkable record at youth level looks set to continue for many years to come.