The Youth of Today - Europe's young football talent - England's best young players - 2022 UPDATE
Football Stories: The Youth of today. A series on Europe’s best up-and-coming talent.
Europe. A continent that lives and breathes football. Some of the most remarkable European players made their mark early on in their careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Eusébio. Cruyff. Maldini. The list goes on. But that was years ago. So have European countries fallen behind South America in producing phenomenal young talent? Hardly.
In this series, Charlie Rowan will celebrate up-and-coming European talent under 23 with unrivalled potential, country by country. Let’s debut with England.
2022 UPDATE - The best young English Players in Football today
Updated by Chris Magee.
Carney Chukwuemeka
The recent Chelsea signing is one of England’s most exciting talents to breakthrough in recent years. The fact Chelsea were willing to pay £20 million for an 18-year-old in the final year of his Aston Villa deal is indicative of his quality.
Chukwuemeka is an explosive box-to-box midfielder who is an impressive dribbler which coupled with great energy and tenacity mean he excels on and off the ball. The new Chelsea recruit played ever game at the UEFA under-19 European Championships for England, even scoring in the final against Israel, helping the Three Lions to victory.
Carney’s quality was recognised long before the tournament though, with clubs such as Barcelona being linked with the youngster, in truth he is one of the brightest talents in the entirety of Europe, not just England.
Seen by many at Villa as their best youth product in years, he helped his former side to FA Youth Cup success last year, winning 2-1 against Liverpool in the final and finishing as top scorer in the competition.
2. Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke is a skilful winger that developed in Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, before leaving for PSV of the Netherlands in search of first-team minutes.
With his lightning acceleration, strong ball progression, and ability to consistently turn possession into clear-cut chances, Madueke made it quite evident that he was prepared for first-team football
Madueke has an impressive ability to combine his pace and dribbling ability, to control the ball with ease without slowing his movement, meaning he can dazzle defenders, and with him also being very intelligent and composed on the ball, he often makes positive decisions that leave defenders without the time to react before he is in behind them or has sent a teammate in behind.
The Englishman is relatively versatile when it comes to the attacking positions, he can be deployed anywhere across the front three; he is equally versatile in his playstyle, he can play as a traditional winger and stretch the opposition, creating gaps in central areas, or he can cut inside, leaving full backs to either follow him out of their position or allow him to roam into and exploit the space.
3. Levi Colwill
Another Chelsea product albeit it on loan at Brighton currently, Levi Colwill is the perfect example of a modern ball-playing centre half. He boasts excellent technique, with his passing range meaning he can switch the play in an instant as well as being fairly resistant to the opposition press.
In terms of the fundamentals of defending, Levi has been compared to John Terry, and is excellent in the air as well as being a strong tackler and similarly to an old-school Chelsea defender of the 2000’s is physically dominant.
Colwill is a complete defender, and now just requires experience to truly become the full package, Levi will be sure to play a lot of football on the South Coast this season under Graham Potter, and could return to Stamford Bridge pushing for a start for Tuchel’s side.
4. Charlie Patino
Another bright English talent from the Arsenal Academy, Charlie Patino similarly to Carney is an athletic box-to-box midfielder that is capable of progressing the play as well as breaking play up. Patino’s slim build means he is extremely quick off the mark as well as being agile, which helps him to work his way up the pitch with the ball, as well as gain ground on opposition runners.
Patino is seen by many to be the next Arsenal youth prodigy to break into the first-team. In terms of his national career, he is also eligible for Spain, so if his development continues in an upward fashion, England coaches will potentially have to battle for the young midfielders declaration.
England - The Class of 2021
We start with the country that founded the beautiful game. England has produced some of the world’s greatest football stars: Bobby Moore; David Beckham; Alan Shearer; Frank Lampard; Steven Gerrard. The national team has undoubtedly underachieved in major tournaments since their solitary World Cup trophy in 1966, with the exception of 1990, 1996 and 2018.
Although the Three Lions’ glory days may seem long gone, their future looks incredibly bright. According to TransferMarkt, the average age of England’s squad is just over 24. Ever since Gareth Southgate took over as manager in 2018, he’s given impressive young players a break. But we aren’t here to talk about the stars that are world-famous such as Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford. We are going to give you an insight into the young English players that are lesser-known, with limitless potential. But who are these talents?
Harvey Elliott
Liverpool prodigy Harvey Elliott may only be 17-years-old, but he is already setting England alight.
The right-winger - on loan at Blackburn - is capable of being top-class. His on-the-ball technicality and flair is staggering for a player so young. And the delicacy in his touch, his lethal agility and his extreme confidence help Elliott to dazzle defenders. The Chertsey-born star is heading to the top.
And some top managers agree. Scott Parker has labelled him a “special talent”, and Jurgen Klopp has previously said,
“It’s easy to be convinced about him when you see him training. He is an exceptional talent, absolutely!”
Such audacious praise isn’t dished out to anyone. Elliott truly is a special talent - but not only on the training ground. He is honing his talents in the Championship, but the teenager has proved he has the ability to shine in the Premier League.
What makes him so talented is his creativity: he creates 2.1 chances per 90, compared to Mo Salah’s 1.83. And this creativity is evident in front of goal, with five goals and nine assists in 27 Championship appearances this season.
Supposedly the heir to Liverpool’s ace wingers, Elliott is one of England’s future talents. He has scored eight in 14 youth international games and has even had his name thrown into the hat for the first team just before the Euros. But he can’t be rushed in for the sake of his own development.
Elliott will be one of the world’s best.
Josh Dasilva
The second Championship talent on this list is Josh Dasilva.
The Brentford central midfielder is a sensational ball carrier. Sharp on the turn, and with a dominant physician presence - at 6ft 1 - he makes everything look easy. The former Arsenal man has thoroughly impressed during the past few seasons, with West Ham among others reportedly monitoring him. But it remains to be seen whether Dasilva can help Brentford reach their lofty Premier League ambitions.
The 22-years-old Ilford-born star is versatile across midfield - a useful asset for a constantly-adapting Brentford side. He’s a skilful, slick player who takes the ball from deep and creates magical opportunities. This driving ability has helped him become one of the brightest young talents in England. Dasilva has great positional awareness, as well as fantastic vision. He sees the play in front of him, and he breaks the lines.
Something that sticks out is that his name consistently makes the scoreboard. 16 goals in 84 league matches for Brentford is outstanding for a deep-lying playmaker. He builds chances, neatly finding pockets of space. Dasilva has a fantastic chance-contribution rate of 5.5% - Phil Foden has less than half that!
But he’s also defensively superb. When defending, he’s still thinking about being on his front foot - he uses his physicality to regain possession, winning 66.44% of his defensive duels. He combines his attacking strengths and physical dominance to create a model of a defensive deep-lying midfielder.
With Brentford sitting in second place currently, Dasilva has helped put the Bees in a fine position for promotion. But he has also impressed in the England youth setups. Having earned a place in the England u21 side, Dasilva will be looking to soon break into the first team.
“He is hitting new numbers and new standards every single day in training and I can’t praise him enough. Of course he can create and score goals and that is fantastic, it is really very rare to have that ability,”
said his manager Thomas Frank.
Utmost praise for a truly special talent.
Oliver Skipp
Oliver Skipp is a star in the making.
The 20-year-old, on loan at Norwich City from Tottenham Hotspur, has been consistently phenomenal this season. Skipp controls the game with a silky first touch, and he is constantly looking for space. Confident, exceptionally composed, and possessing wonderful awareness, Skipp is someone to keep an eye on.
His talent stems from his defensive style of play. Skipp has the tactical intelligence to press and tackle fantastically: his 2.19 tackles per 90 compared to Manchester United ace Scott Mctominay’s 1.88 is brief evidence of his advanced defensive development. He is an intercepting cog in the Norwich machine, cutting 1.03 balls out per 90, and he boasts the awareness to clear it away from danger.
He doesn’t often contribute to goals and assists, but the basic stats don’t tell the full story. Skipp’s passing is wonderful. He transitions comfortable play into threatening opportunities, with an impressive 29.7% forward passing percentage. And these forward passes create chances - 0.64 per 90 chances, matching Arsenal star Thomas Partey.
Excelling at each youth England set-up, Skipp seems to be a gem. He is the future of Spurs and the future of England. His season at Norwich is only a glimpse of his quality, so if he continues to perform with such quality, hefty transfer fees will be coming his way. But Spurs treasure his talent and aren’t looking to sell him.
His development has thoroughly impressed officials at his parent club. The Spurs manager has even said he could be a future captain for the North London club:
“I see this kid being one day a future captain here by his character, by his personality. I feel really happy that he signed."
Nicknamed “Skippy”, he has a great advantage over other wonderkids - he’s already earning consistent first-team experience. And with continued nurturing, he will be one of the bright stars of the next generation.
Tariq Lamptey
Brighton gem Tariq Lamptey has raised eyebrows over the past year - and it’s clear to see why. After signing for £4M from Chelsea’s academy in 2019, 20-year-old Lamptey has earned plaudits for his fabulous work rate, his ball-carrying capabilities, and his zipping deliveries, among other strong attributes.
The wing-back, born in Hillingdon, is gifted. Constantly looking to attack, he is a crucial asset to Graham Potter’s creatively relentless side. And, with some injury problems of late, his gap in the team has seen them drop into a relegation dogfight. Lamptey’s importance can’t be underestimated.
Lamptey is similar to Italian legend Zambrotta: both rapid, both possessing great dribbling skills, and both with great composure. But Lamptey sticks out with his sharpness on the turn. He finds space and uses his pace to go deep out wide, eventually making a bullseye-hitting cross. This thirst for opportunities is clear with his 1.02 chances created per 90 - the Premier League’s average in his position is 0.2 less!
Although he isn’t dominant physically at five feet and five inches tall, he uses his low-centre of gravity to his advantage. The Brighton talent attempts 3.17 dribbles per 90 - an unfathomable stat, especially when put against Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 1.51.
Scouts know Lamptey’s talent. And club officials know that it will cost a lot of money to draw him away from the Amex Stadium, considering his ability and the length of his contract (exp. 2025). But Arsenal’s heavy links aren’t disappearing, and the Gunners are looking likely to be his next club. The £4M paid to sign the youngster last year seems to be one of the great bargains of the Premier League era.
Graham Potter has heaped praise on Lamptey’s continued development:
"I think he has got that mentality that he wants to improve, he wants to get better. He has got that ambition.”
Such ambition will only help him become an elite player.
The 2020 Class of England’s best young players
Eberechi Eze
Our first player is new Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The midfielder’s style of play is stunning: he boasts a delicate first touch, extraordinary flair, deadly agility, and can dribble past opponents with ease. Despite being only 21, the Greenwich-born star’s ability dazzled QPR coaches and staff enough for him to earn the prestigious number 10 on the back of his shirt. Not only does Eze excel with his dribbling, he has a lethal shot in his locker too.
Surprisingly, Eze isn’t often recognised as one of England’s future talents. His name wouldn’t come up in pub debates themed, “who are the best English youngsters?” Yet, he should. Whilst at QPR, they struggled with consistency, but Eze stood out, racking up 20 goal contributions in 37 EFL Championship appearances last season.
These stats have mirrored some magical performances. Eze is often compared to Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha - they have both played for the English youth national team, and Eze is eligible to follow Zaha’s footsteps in playing for an African national team (Nigeria) at senior level.
The 2019/20 season - halted in March because of Coronavirus - was Eze’s best season to date. Mark Warburton, the Hoops’ manager, installed a fabulous work-rate in Eze’s game. This development has ensured that he is not only outstanding individually but now is a fantastic team player.
Eberechi - more commonly known as Ebere - was even complimented by English footballing legend Les Ferdinand: "I think if you look at his ability, I see him playing for one of the top six sides [in the Premier League]."
Ben White
The second Championship talent on this list is Ben White. On loan at Leeds United from Brighton and Hove Albion, the 22-year-old has thoroughly impressed this season. White may not be familiar to the average fan, but that doesn’t mean many of the top clubs aren’t keeping an eye on the Poole-born star - Manchester United and Liverpool are rumoured to be interested in signing the defender. However, there’s speculation that White is to be a part of his parent club’s future.
White made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup playing for Brighton against Col… no, I will not be plagiarising White’s Football Manager biography. One of the most consistent players in the second tier, the former Peterborough loanee has even been nicknamed the ‘White Wall’ by The Athletic’s Phil Hay.
This description could not be more accurate in representing White’s defensive style. Before the season was put into a coma, White was dribbled past only 0.5 times per game. It can’t be long until Gareth Southgate starts to keep tabs on him for England’s national team.
White’s performances have clearly captivated Leeds fans. In a light-hearted letter that went viral on Twitter, five-year-old United fan Daniel Auton wrote to Brighton CEO Paul Barber offering his “piggy bank” of £15.07 to help fund a permanent deal for White.
A handwritten note stated: “I am writing this letter to you regarding a player of yours who is currently on loan with us. The player in question is my favourite player Ben White. If possible can we please, please, please buy Ben at the end of the season? I have counted all my pennies in my piggy bank and I have £15.07 if this helps.”
White responded to young Daniel with the utmost modesty - promising to visit the young fan when it is safe to do so. He told talkSPORT: “I think he put a bit too much money in. It’s really nice to feel that the fans appreciate the hard work I’ve put in. Being wanted is a really nice feeling. I got in contact with [Daniel’s] family yesterday, and said once the lockdown is over I’ll pop in and see him.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s tactics have really benefited the English star. This season, he has formed a reliable partnership with experienced defender Liam Cooper, guiding Leeds to first place in the Championship.
Dwight McNeil
Premier League club Burnley FC are not known for their intricate passes, exquisite dribbling or audacious skills. To be frank, they are known for quite the opposite. Sean Dyche, Burnley’s manager, has formed a tactical style that doesn’t rely on the possession of the ball, but to be disciplined and compact.
The Lancashire side mostly rely on experienced players. So, for a high-potential young star to break through to the Clarets’ first team is unlikely. However, talented youngster Dwight McNeil has become an anomaly in this stereotype. The winger - he can also play in attacking midfield - is the only player under 26 to feature for Burnley this season.
McNeil, 20, is also the youngest player to have started every Premier League game for their club this season and his 2,534 minutes of game time is the third-most of any player aged 21 or younger.
McNeil has accomplished two goals and five assists this season. This may seem poor, but Burnley mostly score goals with their two battering ram strikers, Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes.
Other statistics, however, prove that McNeil has been a crucial cog in the Burnley machine. McNeil has attempted most dribbles for the Northern team and only four players in the English top-flight have crossed more from open play. The Rochdale-born player also has the second-highest (Wolves’ Adama Traore has the highest) crossing accuracy in the league, with 20%.
Dwight McNeil… a bright future ahead
McNeil’s magnificent displays have warranted him call-ups into England’s youth setups. Since breaking into the team in December 2018, he’s become irreplaceable.
Burnley’s style of play shouldn’t suit McNeil but he makes it work. McNeil offers a completely different dimension for his team to utilise. Despite Dyche’s reluctance with allowing his players to use the ball adeptly, he makes McNeil an exception.
McNeil is a gifted player who has impressed enough to attract transfer interest from some of the biggest clubs; his former side Manchester United have taken considerable interest in taking him away from Turf Moor. However, McNeil still doesn’t get the recognition he truly deserves among Premier League fans.
Jude Bellingham
BIGGER UPDATE November 2020 - Jude Bellingham, at 17, has just received his first call up to the full England squad!
UPDATE 20th July 2020 - Jude Bellingham has signed for Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of around £25m.
With only 32 senior appearances to date, it is difficult to imagine the Stourbridge-born talent going for such a huge fee, however, the midfielder’s performances have been phenomenal and his performance ceiling is off the charts.
Birmingham’s youngest ever player has become a crucial part of Pep Clotet’s side. In his breakthrough campaign, Bellingham has added versatility to his game, with the Blues academy graduate playing in central midfield, on the left, and on the right. But no matter where he plays, Bellingham is a magnet to the ball.
When playing as a central midfielder, Bellingham likes to drift wide to try and support the wide midfielder and supporting full-back. With incredibly quick feet, he often beats his man in tight situations, playing short, sharp passes. Bellingham is extremely gracious with his dribbling and he has developed a fantastic set of skill moves that he often uses to his strengths.
Similar to McNeil, the basic statistics don’t suggest that he has been that great. But stats involving the box-to-box midfielder’s work rate and commitment to tackles are fantastic. Considering Bellingham has started only 25 out of a possible 37 games, his rank in the top 20 of all Championship players for total tackles made is marvellous. Deservedly, Bellingham’s reputation is growing.
Bellingham has a great advantage over other wonderkids - he’s already earning consistent first-team experience. There would be scarce chances for almost any other 16-year-old player breaking into a senior squad. This could be due to a lack of maturity and focus from teenagers, however, Bellingham is seemingly handling it well.
His development has been good enough to justify price tags of around £30M. He will be something special in the future. But the speculation is not about “if”; it is about “who” he signs for.
That concludes the first match of our European tour. These players are astounding talents, and will probably go on to become legends of the game.
This is an original article by Charlie Rowan for the Sporting Blog… Check out the second part of this series about the Best young players in Spain and the latest article, about France’s best young talent. Also, check out Charlie’s research on the 4 best young Italian Players and also his analysis on the Portuguese whizzkids taking the world by storm. And who could forget the youth players from Germany!
