With the “golden generation” coming to the end of their playing careers there have been a number of emerging youngsters in the Premier League over the last two seasons. This season has the seen the likes of Gareth Bale and Jack Wilshere grab headlines with their outstanding performances for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal respectively, and there is no doubt that they will be two key players to watch next season and for many years to come.
But there are also a number of other emerging talents in the next generation of footballers who we will start to see making headlines. Whilst the internet has seen an increase in hype around players with potential compared to recent decades, the following list of top ten players for the future are names that could become first-team regulars for their clubs in the Premier League.
Although there will be some omissions from the following list, these are definitely ten players at the very least to keep an eye out for towards the end of the current season when managers decide to give youngsters a run out, or during the pre-season in the summer. The 2011-2012 year could be the season for this generation of highly skilled players, so let’s get the ball rolling and have a look at these wonder kids…
Click on Ignasi Miquel below to see the Top TEN
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This season marks the return to the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers after a fifteen-year absence from the top flight of English football. QPR were one of the founding members of the Premier League back in 1992, but after three relatively successful seasons, Ray Wilkins was unable to steer his side clear of the drop in 1996 as QPR were relegated to Division One. Various financial troubles and off-field issues began to dominate the headlines at Loftus Road as QPR struggled to mount a substantial challenge to get back in to the Premier League. Last seasons, Neil Warnock led his side to the Championship league title and automatic promotion back to the Premier League and everybody involved with the club will be desperate for QPR to remain in the top flight after such a long period in the lower divisions.
While QPR have managed to earn their place back in Premier League, there are a number of ‘old boys’ who have not been so fortunate following their relegation from the division, and I’d like to know which of these we have missed the most?
Nottingham Forest:
After sixteen years of top flight football in which Nottingham Forest had won a league title and two European Cups, Brian Clough’s side were relegated from the newly formed Premier League in 1993. In an eighteen-year spell in charge of Forest, Clough established himself as one of the great managers of English football, and Forest as one of the great sides. After a season in Division One, Forest returned to the Premier League only to be relegated again in 1997. Dave Bassett earned the club promotion back to the top flight in ’98, however they finished bottom for the third time in seven seasons, and have failed to win promotion to the Premier League ever since.
The closest Forest have come to a return to the top flight was in 2003, when they finished sixth in the league, and lost their play-off semi-final to Sheffield United. In 2005, the club were relegated to League One, and became the first former European cup winners to suffer relegation to the third tier of domestic football. In 2008, Forest returned to the Championship and are currently managed by former England boss Steve McClaren. Having established themselves as one of the best clubs in the country, Forest have been unable to mount any real challenge for a place in the Premier League since 1999.
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Sheffield Wednesday:
Sheffield Wednesday earned promotion from the First Division in 1992, booking their place in the newly formed Premier League for the following season. Wednesday’s debut season in the top-flight saw them finish seventh in the league, though they were also both FA Cup and League Cup finalists the same year. In the following years, Wednesday established themselves as a Premier League side, and finished consecutive seasons around the mid-table. In 1998, The Owls suffered a disastrous season including an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle, and Wednesday were relegated to Divison One at the end of the campaign.
In 2003, Wednesday were relegated again to the third tier of English football, however they did win promotion back to the Championship in 2005 After a period that saw frequent changes in the managerial post at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday are still generally found towards the lower end of the Championship league table. The club have never come close to winning promotion back to the Premier League, and after a relatively successful six-year spell in the top flight between ’92 and ’98, many expected this side to return almost immediately to the Premier League.
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Southampton:
When the Premier League was formed in 1992, Southampton had already established themselves as a top-flight team having played in the division since 1978. During a 13-year spell in the Premier League, Southampton went through various managerial phases, and the likes of Matt Le Tissier among others had helped to prove that the club could compete in the top tier of English football. Like Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton generally ended their campaigns around the middle of the table, but in 2005 newly appointed manager Harry Redknapp was unable to save the Saints from relegation, thus ending 27 successive seasons of top flight football for the club.
In their first season in the Championship, Southampton looked to be in danger of their second relegation in as many years, however a turn in form in the latter period of the season helped the club to safety. Such safety was short-lived, and despite reaching the play-off semi-finals in 2007, Southampton were relegated to League One in 2009. In May 2011, the club achieved promotion back into the Championship, and currently sit second after five games in to the new campaign. Having established themselves as Premier League regulars, nobody could have anticipated the effect that relegation had on the club, and only now do the Saints look at all likely to challenge for promotion back to the top-flight.
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Leeds United:
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Leeds United were the last side to win the First Division championship, before the Premier League era began in 1992. However, in the season that followed the defending champions narrowly avoided relegation. Leeds looked to improve the following year, and began to build a team capable of breaking in to the top European competitions. In 1998, David O’Leary was appointed manager at Elland Road, and brought in both Jonathan Woodgate and Alan Smith to join up with the likes of Harry Kewelll and Jimmy Floyd Hasselabaink already at the club, as Leeds finished fourth and then third in consecutive seasons, qualifying for the Champions League in 2000. After a successful run that ended in a semi-final defeat to Valencia, Leeds were faced with a number of financial difficulties and forced to sell some of their top players, including Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, and Robbie Fowler.
Leeds never really managed to discover the kind of form required in the Premier League after the sale of these key players, and despite rebuilding a side including the promising young talent of James Milner and Aaron Lennon, Leeds were eventually relegated to the Championship in 2004. In 2006, Leeds lost the play-off final at the hands of Watford, and things went from bad to worse as the club were relegated again the following season, after voluntarily entering administration in 2007. After three consecutive seasons in which Leeds reached the play-offs, Simon Grayson guided Leeds back to the Championship in 2010, and his side narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season. Leeds are renowned for their passionate fans and there is an air optimism around Elland Road this year, and a sense that promotion back to the Premier League may not be too far away.
Which of these Premier League ‘old boys’ do you think we have missed the most? Do you expect any of them to be back any time soon? Let me know either below or @sixthofficial on Twitter!
You only have to look at the way Manchester United have started this season to recognise the impact great young players can have on a team. However, not all are good enough to play straight away in the first team. Perhaps they are better off in staying at their first club for a little bit longer before making their big move.
Spurs youngster John Bostock could well fall into this category. Since making his move from Crystal Palace in 2008, the 19-year-old has struggled to make an impact. He hasn’t made a single league appearance for Spurs. He has had loan spells at Hull City and Brentford. It’s easy to say now but in hindsight, he would have been much better off to stay at Crystal Palace for a few more years to continue his development.
Playing with Palace would have given him grounding and a much better chance of playing first team football. Although it’s very hard to turn down the overtures of a club like Spurs, there is a lot to be gained out of playing regular first team football at a young age. There’s the experience you gain from it and also the more somebody plays, the more he will grow in confidence.
Had Bostock been playing consistent first team football for the past three years, barring any injury he might have picked up, he would have arguably developed much more than he has at Spurs. The proof will come in how long it takes for his career to launch from here, if it all.
The short term gains of a move will always be much more prominent in the mind of a young player. For example, by leaving for a bigger club, they will earn more money and their profile as a player will be raised significantly. There is also the opportunity to work with better players and potentially better coaching staff. The standard of facilities would also feature somewhere in a player’s thoughts. From the clubs point of view, they will want to integrate into their way of playing as soon as possible. Look at the style possessed by all of the players who come out of Barcelona’s La Masia.
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You have to wonder whether it is worth players moving from the perceived smaller club when in all likelihood they will just get sent out on loan or play reserve team football. Players would be much better off playing in competitive lower leagues with their club. The Championship and League One are good platforms for a young player to excel.
Perhaps it is now the modern way to move when you’re young to give you more time to progress at your next club. However, Connor Wickham is a player who made a big move this summer to the Premier League. He might well have benefited from another year in the Football League.
Wickham has made an inauspicious start to his career on Wearside. At the age of 18, he would surely have been better off continuing to learn his trade in the Championship, a league where he scored 13 goals in 65 appearances in total. That is not the greatest record for a striker but who’s to say he wouldn’t have improved that this season with Ipswich. Instead he moves to Sunderland for £8 million and expected to be one of their main goal scoring outlets. The pressure on him will only increase with the departure of Asamoah Gyan to the UAE.
It begs the question whether players are being advised by the right people. Agents don’t seem to have the best interests of their client’s playing career at hand. They seem to focus on what will make the most financial sense to them and the player. There is no doubt that Connor Wickham will earn significantly more at Sunderland this year then he would have at Ipswich. It might not have hurt him so much to say he’d like to stay at Ipswich for another season to develop further.
Maybe there is a fear factor for players like Wickham. If they turn down the move now, will they ever get the chance again? That comes down to how confident they are in their ability. The more confident players are able to turn down the overtures in the knowledge they will continue to impress.
It’s not necessarily the same with young players abroad. Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gӧtze has already signalled his intentions that he wants to stay in Germany for another year. Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp who has manufactured a team with many great young prospects, that cannot be a bad thing for Gӧtze.
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It is understandable how players see the bright lights of clubs like Manchester United and immediately want to join them. However, in terms of a player’s career, they would perhaps be better off to stick it out at their club for a little while longer, learning their trade and playing regularly even if it is at a lower level.
When Hodgson was approached for the England job seven weeks ago his doubters outnumbered the supporters en masse. Seen as a cheap, safe alternative to Redknapp the former Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom man was far from the choice of the people.
For many, his best opportunity was to se the European Championships as way to prepare for tests further down the line. Criticisms included that he was a ‘small team’ manager who worked better with lesser players. Hodgson may have won over fans and critics alike but the sentiment of using the tournament as preparation for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 still rings true.
Yes, England can do well in this tournament but that doesn’t mean it is not a lesson for the future and, with the World Cup qualifiers beginning in September, the performances of our players in this tournament will have some bearing in how England progress post Euro 2012.
So, looking at the performances so far, and taking in to consideration the relative age of the team, which players should we be looking at for the road to Brazil?
Joe Hart
To be described by Gianluigi Buffon as one of the best keepers in the world is no mean feat, especially considering the Italian captain was thought by many to be the number one in the world for many years.
What makes the prospect of Joe Hart’s development even more impressive is that, at 25, there is so much more to come. England legend David Seaman recently said he believed Hart could go on to become the greatest English keeper of all time – that in itself is debateable, yet the quality of his play and the confidence he inspires is undeniable.
England’s defence may soon say goodbye to the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole who are all over thirty but with Hart at the base of the defence the plans for development at least have a secure foundation. A possible future captain, Hart seems unlikely to be moved from England’s line up for years to come.
Phil Jones
Yet to play in Euro 2012, Phil Jones might not be everybody’s idea of the future heart of the English defence, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of competition. Yes, there is Chris Smalling, and Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott will make it to the next World Cup, but Phil Jones has the potential to easily surpass his compatriots. Like it or not it is unlikely that Ferdinand or Terry will play another international tournament for England and Hodgson must start looking to the future now.
Jones started last season exceptionally well and despite his dip in form you’d have to say that Hodgson must have faith in the United youngster to include him ahead of Micah Richards. It remains unlikely that he will feature in Poland or Ukraine as even if one of our centre halves were to get injured or suspended you would imagine that Jagielka, with his not inconsiderable international experience, would be the man to fill the void. However, Jones remains England’s brightest hope for a future centre half and he will definitely have a role to play in the qualifiers for 2014.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
A raw talent, but a talent nonetheless. Not since Wayne Rooney’s goal for Everton against Arsenal as a teenager have fans and pundits been so excited by an English prospect. Chamberlain has gone, in the space of 18 months, from playing in League One to scoring in the Champions League and starting against France in an international tournament. Exuding confidence and technical ability there’s no telling how fast the former Southampton winger can progress.
Wenger himself expressed his surprise as to the speed of his development claiming that he had not really intended to use him at all for Arsenal last season. However, such was his growth, Chamberlain ended up playing 26 times for Arsenal, scoring 4 goals along the way. If, in a year, Chamberlain has progressed from League One to Champions League, in a further twelve months he could be ready to nail down a place in England’s starting line up. All of the experience he gains from these European Championships can only benefit his advancement.
Wayne Rooney + Danny Welbeck
Ever since Rooney came on to the international scene in 2004 he has been crying out for a decent strike partner. Yes, Michael Owen initially formed an on-field rapport with the United forward but his demise coincided with Rooney’s rise. Vassell, Heskey, Crouch, Bent, Defoe and others have all tried and failed to develop a meaningful football relationship with the former Everton man but at last Welbeck appears to be answer. Rooney may have looked rusty against Ukraine but after only one season of playing together at United the partnership they have formed is a proven combination.
Rooney will soon be 27. The time between now and the World Cup in 2014 will be the best years of his career, and now Welbeck is here to help get the best out of him.
We should expect Carroll’s form to improve over the next few years but it will be hard to replicate the effectiveness of a partnership honed at club level.
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Whatever your thoughts on England’s future, our friends at Samsung are interested in hearing them. Samsung have asked football fans ‘what matters most’ to them. I have added my thoughts to the process and I suggest you do the same by clicking here to be in with a chance to win a whole host of goodies, including a Samsung Smart Television ES8000 55”. Why not join the debate…
Click here to let Samsung know what matters most to you in football…
Darren Bent is not a name many people would suggest when asked who the best Premiership striker is. Instead, you would hear the likes of Torres, Drogba and Rooney.
However, because of injuries and lack of form – it’s easy to see why Bent is getting increased media attention and being touted for further involvement in the England setup. With Bent also scoring his first England goal this year, the question remains as to how long Sunderland can keep hold of him. So, why is Bent so special?
Attributes
He is tall and incredibly quick, meaning he can play alongside virtually anybody up front or by operating as a lone striker. He scores goals with both feet and utilises his height and agility to get his head on the end of speculative crosses, recently seen when he scored the equalising goal against Liverpool. He uses his pace to good effect by latching onto through-balls and beating the offside trap against defenders that are slow to react.
Injury free
Last season Bent was involved in all thirty eight of Sunderland’s league games, an impressive record given the amount of running that the pacey forward puts in each week. With Kenwyne Jones now at Stoke and new boy Asamoah Gyan yet to fully prove himself, Steve Bruce hopes his fitness levels remain sky-high.
Goalscoring record
Bent has consistently been hitting the back of the net since breaking into Ipswich’s first team. For the Tractor Boys he hit 46 goals in his first full 3 seasons, at Charlton he scored 31 in 68, and he even managed 18 goals in 60 appearances whilst competing with Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch at Spurs. Last season he was Sunderland’s top scorer with 25 goals and is averaging a goal a game this season.
Knows the game
Bent is still only twenty six, yet has played for three Premier League clubs with vastly experienced managers. He learnt his trade at Ipswich under George Burley and Joe Royle, before being managed by Alan Curbishley at Charlton and Harry Redknapp at Spurs. He continues to improve under the guidance of Manchester United hero, Steve Bruce.
Attitude
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Although it didn’t work out for him in North London, Bent wasted no time settling into the groove at Sunderland – scoring on his debut, a 1-0 win over Bolton. Despite missing out on a place to South Africa and seeing the like of Emile Heskey (who hardly featured for Villa at the end of season) travel, Bent refused to speak out against the decision to leave him behind. Instead, saying that it was the manager’s choice and that he simply needed to further prove himself.
Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell insists Premier League survival has to be the club's top priority despite their ninth-place finish last term.
The Blues performed admirably on their return to the top-flight following their promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2008/09 season and they have recently bolstered their squad by adding Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster and Valencia striker Nikola Zigic.
Manager Alex McLeish was allowed to spend £6million on each player, but Ridgewell, who signed a new three-year deal at St Andrew's this week, is still looking on the cautious side.
Speaking to reporters, he said:"I was pleased to sign on the dotted line and get the contract done and dusted.
"The ninth-placed finish came into play (when extending his contract) and I want to be at a successful club and this club is driving on.
"But survival will be the main thing next season. After doing so well last season people will be wondering how we are going to do – but our aim is to stay in this league and hopefully push on from that ninth place.
"There have been some good signings. Ben is a world class keeper and coming from Manchester United he is a good acquisition for us.
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"Filling in Joe's (Hart) boots will be hard for anyone in the world. Ben will come in well and get into the running of things. I think he will be brilliant for us.
"The big man coming in up front (Zigic) gives us something different in that department."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
An action packed Premier League weekend is in store with some mouth watering fixtures with Arsenal’s trip to Villa and Liverpool’s visit to White Hart Lane the pick of the games. There is also a vital six-pointer at Upton Park, where for West Ham it is something of a must win game already.
In the papers this morning we have a mixed bag of stories from Carlos Tevez attacking money obsessed players; Reina’s fears for Fernando Torres, while David Moyes has revealed that he would love to sign David Beckham in January, plus much more.
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Roma willing to offer Liverpool Philippe Mexes for Dirk Kuyt – IM Scouting
Tevez attacks money-obsessed players – Guardian
Grant set for last stand – Daily Telegraph
Mario can be City’s Cantona – Sun
Reina fears Torres could bolt for the exit door – Mirror
Alex Ferguson contacts Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero to discuss move – IM Scouting
Redknapp in Comolli swipe – Sky Sports
Obi: We must get tough to win title – Sun
Shearer: Carroll can take up my mantle…for club AND country – Mirror
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After six seasons outside the Premier League, Leeds United are in a position to get back to where a club of their stature belongs. Three years in the Championship, followed by three in League One, have been tough to take for Leeds fans; this is not what they are used to. Many are still old enough to have seen Don Revie’s dominance in the 60’s and 70’s or Howard Wilkinson’s era in the early 90’s, but there is a new generation of fans who have never seen their side compete with the best in the country. Unfortunately for them, it may suit in the long run, if they wait just that bit longer.
Regardless of how big a club is, successive promotions to the Premier League is a big ask, and holding grasp of that momentum to then avoid relegation is even greater. Under Graham Taylor, Watford reached the top flight after successive promotions in 1998 and 99, only to finish bottom the following year and head back to the second tier. Manchester City, a club with greater resources than most that come up to the Premiership, repeated the trick a year later, only to suffer the same fate.
It took Leeds three years to get out of League One because they were such a big scalp for teams; suddenly relatively small clubs had the chance to go to Elland Road in what must have felt like a cup tie, and try to take points off the big boys. This year the club may benefit from being more of a peer to the rest of the sides they face, despite still being one of the bigger clubs in the division.
As ever, the Championship remains one of the most competitive leagues going; any number of teams can lay claim to a promotion push including Hull, Burnley, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Sheffield United, Forest, Bristol City, Derby and on and on…While Leeds have as good a squad as most, they are up against it, and it is a squad that would struggle in the Premiership, even with a few additions. Losing Jermaine Beckford is a massive blow, as strikers of that ability are a rare breed at that level, whether the likes of Luciano Becchio and Billy Paynter can score the 31 goals Beckford scored last season, only time will tell.
I still believe that Leeds’ promotion to the Premiership is a matter of ‘when’, rather than ‘if’, with that level of fan base, history and stature they will be able to attract better and better players to the club. Not being a fan of Leeds myself, it may be easier for me to say, but an element of patience is required from the Leeds fans. They can be secure in the knowledge that the club is moving in the right direction. After what must have been a pretty sickening few years in West Yorkshire, the club has turned a corner and is getting back on its feet. Fans also have to be aware how many clubs are trying to achieve the same goal. A season, maybe more, of consolidation is far better preparation for Simon Grayson’s men to have the armoury to survive the Premier League. The last thing the club needs is another relegation, and after such a topsy-turvy last five years, the relative boredom of a mid-table finish may provide a far more secure platform from which to launch their next great era.
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With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery
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Alessandro Del Piero is determined to stay at Juventus and is waiting to be offered a new contract, according to his brother and agent.
Del Piero, 36, has amassed club records in appearances and goals since joining the Old Lady in 1993, but he is yet to be officially told his contract will be extended beyond its June expiry.
The veteran striker was initially non-committal over his future at the Stadio Olimpico but has since indicated he would prefer to stay at the club he joined from Padova as an 18-year-old.
Now that the January transfer window has closed, Del Piero is hoping Juve will reward him with a contract extension into the 2011/12 season.
“We’ve waited until the transfer window closed because it was right to give Juventus the serenity needed at this stage of the season,” Stefano Del Piero, the player’s agent and brother, told Ansa.
“There will soon be a number of exploratory meetings and in the first we will be told by Juventus what their intentions are.”
“Alessandro has decided that he wants to stay, but it will depend on the club to define how that will happen.”
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“If Juventus don’t intend to continue with Alessandro then we would be disappointed, but we would take note of that fact with mutual respect.”
It is believed Juve are keen to offer their club legend a pay-as-you-play extension over the next season, with a clause allowing Del Piero to become a future club director at the Old Lady.
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has admitted he wants to end his career at the club.
The Scotland international has been at the club for a decade and has already made 255 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson's first team.
The 26-year-old is dreaming of emulating the successes of veterans Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, who still remain at Old Trafford.
Speaking to reporters, he said:"You look at it as a step down if you leave. If you're lucky enough to stay, you'll have played at the top for your whole career and it doesn't get much bigger than Manchester United.
"Players who left say, 'think twice before you leave, because there's nowhere like Manchester United.'
"Everything about the club makes it the place you want to be. No-one really thinks about leaving when you're here.
"Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are almost like urban legends. They're fantastic role models for younger players like me to have."
Meanwhile, Fletcher has admitted he can see why the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry have opted to join Major League Soccer in the United States.
The Red Devils are currently in America as their pre-season preparations continue and the Scot has been impressed with what he has witnessed so far.
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"Everything about MLS and America – it's a great country – appeals to players," he added."You see how MLS has progressed, the league keeps getting bigger. It's a massively growing sport.
"There are great teams that would be big attractions to players. I wouldn't be surprised to see more players head out here."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email