The new year is only two and a half weeks old. But there are young players who are already making an impact which suggests they will all be worth keeping an eye on throughout 2020. Let’s take a look at TEN of them, aged 23 or under.
Eduardo Camavinga
Born: November 2002
Club: Rennes (FRA)
Nationality: Congolese/Angolan/French
Position: centre midfield
Career start: aged six
Having become the first player born in 2002 to start a game in one of Europe’s top five leagues last year, the 17-year-old made his 17th and 18th Ligue 1 starts of the season in Rennes’ first two league fixtures of 2020. Camavinga joined his first football club aged six and was soon regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime prospect before moving to a professional academy as an 11-year-old. Today, perhaps curiously, the left-footer is one of the most fouled players in the French top-flight – testament to both his quick thinking and remarkable maturity on the pitch.
Eberechi Eze
Born: June 1998
Club: Queens Park Rangers (ENG)
Nationality: English/Nigerian
Position: winger/attacking midfielder
Career start: aged sixteen (although the data is not conclusive)
The Greenwich-born 21-year-old assisted two goals – you really should see the first one – and scored himself in QPR’s New Year drubbing of Cardiff City. As a youngster, Eze was reportedly deemed too small by Arsenal and did not stay long at neither Fulham nor Reading before being released by Millwall in 2016. Tomorrow lunchtime, the skilful playmaker will lead an exciting QPR side against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United at Loftus Road, hoping to add to his impressive tally of 10 goals and 6 assists in this season’s Championship campaign.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Born: November 2000
Club: Chelsea (ENG)
Nationality: English
Position: winger
Career start: aged six
The 19-year-old England senior international produced a variety of finishes in his last two games – a low, left-footed strike after running at a Nottingham Forest full-back from a wide position and then a poacher’s far-post effort against Burnley. Hudson-Odoi is one of Chelsea’s “proper” Academy products, having joined the club at the age of six. On four Premier League starts so far this season, the athletically-built footballer’s challenge this year is to make himself a permanent fixture in his team’s starting line-up.
Gabriel Jesus
Born: April 1997
Club: Manchester City (ENG)
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: striker
Career start: aged thirteen (data not conclusive)
The 22-year-old Brazilian has already scored three Premier League goals in 2020. Jesus had initially played street and amateur football before signing a youth contract with Palmeiras at the age of sixteen. Now in his third full season at Manchester City, it will be interesting to see whether the talented goalscorer will prove prolific enough to beat his career-best tally of 21 goals in all competitions in a single campaign (he is currently on 14) – achieved at both Palmeiras and his current club – and slowly turn himself into the English champions’ main striking option for next season.
Lautaro Martínez
Born: August 1997
Club: Internazionale (ITA)
Nationality: Argentinian
Position: striker
Career start: aged sixteen (data not conclusive)
The 22-year old Argentina international scored in each of Inter’s first two Serie A fixtures of 2020 – linking superbly with Romelu Lukaku for the opener against Atalanta. Son of a professional footballer, Martínez played both football and basketball until the age of 15 and has said that even now he prefers to watch a basketball rather than a football match in his spare time. Quick and technically sound, it seems no surprise he has been linked with a move to Barcelona as perhaps an ideal replacement for Luis Suárez.
Kylian Mbappé
Born: December 1998
Club: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Nationality: French
Position: striker
Career start: aged four
The 21-year-old sensation has scored and assisted goals (as well as winning a penalty) in two of the three French domestic competitions already this year – and what a shame his audacious attempt to lob the goalkeeper with a rabona against Saint-Étienne missed the target by a whisker! Mbappé began playing football at local club JS Bondy, where his father was a coach, as a four-year-old and did not leave for Monaco until the age of 14. With Paris Saint-Germain looking to finally end their Champions League hoodoo and France hoping for Euro 2020 success, this could well be the lightning quick forward’s year.
Bryan Mbeumo
Born: August 1999
Club: Brentford (ENG)
Nationality: French
Position: winger
Career start: aged six
The 20-year-old Frenchman of Cameroonian descent is now into double figures – on 11 goals – for what is his first season in English football after a summer move from Troyes. Mbeumo spent a number of years at local side CO Avallonais before making a move to Troyes’ Academy at the age of 14. As Brentford sit third in the Championship table, the exciting left-footer could well be playing Premier League football come the second half of 2020.
Marcus Rashford
Born: October 1997
Club: Manchester United (ENG)
Nationality: English
Position: striker
Career start: aged five
The 22-year-old is becoming more and more prolific with three goals in all competitions already to his name in 2020. Rashford joined the Manchester United Academy set-up at the age of seven having enjoyed two previous playing years at Fletcher Moss Rangers. His fans are sweating over the versatile attacker’s fitness ahead of United’s Sunday trip to Liverpool.
Richarlison
Born: May 1997
Club: Everton (ENG)
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: striker
Career start: aged sixteen (data not conclusive)
As another 22-year-old Brazilian forward on this list, he has scored all – and both – Everton goals so far this year, including a well-taken winner against Brighton. Richarlison once revealed he had been close to quitting football having initially been rejected by numerous clubs in his homeland. The pacy, but until now rather inconsistent striker will be hoping his new boss Carlo Ancelotti will help him become one of Premier League’s best attackers in 2020.
Federico Valverde
Born: July 1998
Club: Real Madrid (ESP)
Nationality: Uruguayan
Position: centre midfield
Career start: aged ten (data not conclusive)
The 21-year-old Uruguayan has made a huge impact in recent weeks – well beyond his last-man cynical challenge on Álvaro Morata in the Supercopa de España final. Born in Montevideo, Valverde spent several years at Peñarol before signing for Real Madrid ‘B’ team in 2016. His incredible energy levels mean his team may miss him as he serves his one-match suspension in tomorrow’s home match against Sevilla.
In the picture: young Kylian Mbappé (found here)
BREAKTHROUGH 