BREAKTHROUGH

Young Europa League Stars

The road to Gdańsk resumes on Thursday night. And some under-23s will be looking to raise their profile by lifting the Europa League trophy come the end of the season. Here is a look at a selection of them.

Bukayo Saka

Born: September 2001

Nationality: English

Club: Arsenal

Last-32 tie: Olympiacos vs Arsenal

Career start: data inconclusive

The left-footer scored twice and provided four assists in just four appearances in this season’s Europa League group stage. Saka, who was born and raised in the London Borough of Ealing, is a product of Arsenal’s Hale End Academy and has already made four Premier League starts this year under new head coach Mikel Arteta (registering a further two assists). It remains to be seen whether and how much the Spaniard will rotate his squad for the Europa League knock-outs, but – considering Arsenal went all the way through to the final of the competition last season – Saka and co will be fancying their chances of going one better this time.

Bukayo Saka impressed as an attacking left-back in Arsenal’s win over Newcastle United last Sunday.

Mason Greenwood

Born: October 2001

Nationality: English

Club: Manchester United

Last-32 tie: Club Brugge vs Manchester United

Career start: aged six

Another 18-year-old left-footer on this list, the striker has four goals in his five Europa League appearances so far this season. Greenwood, who was born in Bradford, joined Manchester United’s development centre in nearby Halifax at the age of six before progressing through the club’s academy ranks. He has come off the bench in every league game but one so far in 2020 – scoring on one occasion – and will be hoping to continue making an impact from the start in European competition.

Despite being left-footed, Mason Greenwood tends to take penalties with his right foot.

Pedro Neto

Born: March 2000

Nationality: Portuguese

Club: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Last-32 tie: Wolves vs Espanyol Barcelona

Career start: aged eight

The (also) left-footed winger has been a regular in Nuno Espírito Santo’s side since the turn of the year – scoring his first two Premier League goals. Neto is originally from the North of Portugal and only joined Sporting Braga’s youth system at the age of 13. Wolves have approached the Europa League seriously and who knows how far they could go in this competition, quite possibly with Neto starting in their usual attacking trio.

Kai Havertz

Born: June 1999

Nationality: German

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Last-32 tie: Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Porto

Career start: aged four

The tall attacking midfielder found no joy in the Champions League group stage having neither scored nor assisted a goal against Juventus, Atlético Madrid and Lokomotiv Moscow. Havertz had been at amateur club Alemannia Mariadorf until the age of 10 before he was signed by Alemannia Aachen and then – just a year later – Bayer Leverkusen. With the Werkself now in the Europa League, another potentially tricky opponent awaits, but if the… left-footed Germany international could transfer his solid Bundesliga form (three goals and one assist so far in 2020) into the European competition, Peter Bosz’s side might prove to be the Europa League’s surprise package come spring.

Kai Havertz’s game intelligence is of the highest order.

Myron Boadu

Born: January 2001

Nationality: Dutch

Club: AZ

Last-32 tie: AZ vs LASK

Career start: data inconclusive

The forward has four Europa League and thirteen Eredivisie goals to his name already this term as well as a total of eight assists. Born in Amsterdam to Ghanaian parents, he had played for amateur side SC Buitenveldert before joining the AZ Academy at the age of 13. The currently second-placed team in the Dutch top-flight may not necessarily be favourites against their Austrian Bundesliga table-topping opponents, so Boadu has a great opportunity to put on his scoring boots again.

Although right-footed, Myron Boadu often scores goals on his weaker side, too.

Wenderson Galeno

Born: October 1997

Nationality: Brazilian

Club: S.C. Braga

Last-32 tie: Rangers vs S.C. Braga

Career start: data inconclusive

The wide forward is Europa League’s joint-best – along with Saka – assist maker so far this season. Galeno was signed, initially on loan, by Porto at the age of 18 despite having never been part of any big-club academy in his homeland. Sitting third in their domestic league on the back of an away win against leaders Benfica, Braga could be hopeful of progressing through to the last sixteen of the European competition.

Galeno has already proved he is not only a provider, but also a goalscorer.

In the picture: Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (found here)

Young Champions League Stars

As Europe’s major club competition is about to enter its business part, I have picked eight – one per tie – U23 players who could prove decisive in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Joe Gomez

Tie: Atlético Madrid vs Liverpool

Born: May 1997

Nationality: English

Position: centre back

Career start: aged 10

If Liverpool’s extraordinary season has an unsung hero – other than the no-longer underappreciated captain Jordan Henderson – perhaps he is a graduate of the Charlton Athletic youth system. Gomez, who had joined his local club at the age of 10, slotted in seamlessly at the heart of the Club World Cup Winners’ defence alongside Virgil van Dijk at the start of December and has barely put his foot wrong since. A late substitute in last season’s Champions League final at Atlético’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, he will be expected to start this time, even despite recent returns to fitness of both Joël Matip and Dejan Lovren. Liverpool conceded just two goals in the last 14 league and cup games which Gomez started.

Jadon Sancho

Tie: Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain

Born: March 2000

Nationality: English

Position: winger

Career start: aged seven

This could well be headlined an Erling Braut Håland (eight goals in this season’s Champions League group stage for Salzburg) vs Kylian Mbappé (five goals in five appearances ahead of the knock-out rounds) contest. However, it is also a chance for a former Watford and then Manchester City youngster to lighten up the European stage. Sancho already has four Bundesliga goals and as many league assists in 2020 – on top of two goals and two assists in the 2019/20 edition of the UCL – and if Borussia Dortmund are to provide a last-sixteen upset, he will surely be the man to prolong PSG’s Champions League agonies.

Jadon Sancho is the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to reach a double-double this season.

Ferran Torres

Tie: Atalanta vs Valencia

Born: February 2000

Nationality: Spanish

Position: winger

Career start: aged six

There has been at least one regular feature of Valencia’s rather inconsistent start to the new year. The club’s academy product, who has been a Che since the age of six, has started all but one of their La Liga games so far in 2020. The technically-gifted Torres has provided an equal amount of goals and assists – both in the domestic league (four each, including one each this year) and Champions League (one each) – this season and he will be trying to take matters into his own hands against UCL debutants Atalanta.

Ferran Torres completed Valencia’s crucial remontada at home to Lille in the group stages.

Dayot Upamecano

Tie: Tottenham Hotspur vs RasenBallsport Leipzig

Born: October 1998

Nationality: French

Position: centre back

Career start: aged five

This pacey footballer’s career path has been unusual or – perhaps – more typical of France rather than England. Born in Normandy, Upamecano had played his football for a string of smaller clubs before he joined the Valenciennes Academy at the age of 14 and was then sold to Salzburg barely two years later (and then finally to Leipzig another two years on). If his current, upcoming club are to waste no time and already show Europe they are here to stay, they will need their young centre-back’s pace to cope with the speed of the likes of Tottenham’s Son and Lucas Moura in this tie.

Alphonso Davies

Tie: Chelsea vs Bayern Munich

Born: November 2000

Nationality: Canadian

Position: left back

Career start: aged five

It seems hardly believable that a baby born in a refugee camp in Ghana has gone on to become an international footballer. And one of the quickest around, too. The Canadian, who only joined Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019, has arguably been the star of the German Champions’ quietly impressive performances in recent weeks and he will be looking for a big impact against Chelsea.

Alphonso Davies became Bayern’s youngest goalscorer since Roque Santa Cruz last year.

Ansu Fati

Tie: Napoli vs Barcelona

Born: October 2002

Nationality: Spanish

Position: winger

Career start: aged six

The youngest goalscorer in Champions League history has benefited from injuries to Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé as well as the appointment of Quique Setién in early 2020. Fati was born in Guinea-Bissau from where he moved initially to Seville – which included a two-year spell at Sevilla CF – and then Barcelona’s La Masía at the age of 10. Having provided the key contribution to knock Inter out of the Champions League in the first half of the season, he will undoubtedly be keen to repeat the trick against another Italian opposition.

Ansu Fati became Champions League’s youngest-ever goalscorer just 90 seconds after coming off the bench at the San Siro.

Rayan Cherki

Tie: Olympique Lyonnais vs Juventus

Born: August 2003

Nationality: French

Position: forward

Career start: aged six

If making your first league start in an away encounter against Paris Saint-Germain does not seem to faze you, so should not a potential appearance against the Italian Champions in Europe’s major club competition. Cherki, who was born in Lyon and joined the club’s academy at the age of seven, has shown incredible maturity and a wide range of ability in his first domestic performances. Even Cristiano Ronaldo should be impressed, especially if Cherki could somehow make an impact in this tie.

Rayan Cherki scored two and assisted another two in Olympique Lyonnais’ away French Cup tie against Nantes earlier this year.

Vinícius

Tie: Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Born: July 2000

Nationality: Brazilian

Position: winger

Career start: aged five

It has not been plain sailing for Madrid’s young star this season. However, Vinícius, who – in contrast to many other Brazilian footballers – has joined a professional academy set-up at Flamengo at a very early age, has again shown glimpses of his undoubted quality in recent weeks. Even with Eden Hazard back to fitness, the 19-year-old should make a contribution in this tie.

Brazilian teenagers Rodrygo and Vinícius both scored in Real Madrid’s last Champions League match.

In the picture: Liverpool’s Joe Gomez (found here)

How It All Began: Erling Haaland

It was maybe a good thing for him to be smaller.

It may be difficult to believe, but Europe’s top goalscorer so far in 2020 has not always been the tallest player on his team. And not only due to the fact he tended to play a year above his age group.

In fact, as a child, Erling Haaland used to be – apparently – quite small.

Running in behind

Despite standing at 194 cm (6 ft 4 in), the 19-year-old Norwegian forward could probably be deemed almost anything but a traditional number nine.

Just take a look at his first eight goals – in four appearances, three of which off the bench – for Borussia Dortmund.

Håland has scored a staggering seven goals in his first three Bundesliga games.

There were close-range finishes, shots on the half-turn and one-v-ones with the goalkeeper after running in behind the opposition defence.

Not a single header.

“He was always good when he was younger, he had qualities and you could see his talent”, said Haaland’s former teammate at Bryne FK Tord Salte. “He was quick and very clever in terms of the timing of his runs and going in behind. He always had that… His problem was just that he was actually very small.”

A late developper, who only grew tall around the age of 15-16, used his modest height (and weight) to his advantage, though.

“It was maybe a good thing for him to be smaller,” added the centre forward’s ex-coach Alf Ingve Berntsen. “because when he was 11, 12, 13, he had to be clever in the box, he had to be smart to create chances, and we can see that today. Even though he is a big guy, he moves really well and his positioning is very good. Maybe that is from an early age when he had to play with older, bigger guys.”

Fun environment

Today, Haaland seems a fiercely competitive player on the pitch and a relaxed, smiling person off it.

This could almost certainly be owed to his upbringing in native Norway.

The Dortmund striker, who was born in Leeds but moved to his home country as a three year-old, played at local club Bryne (a town of around 12 thousand inhabitants) FK from the age of 6 to 16.

He never tasted a professional academy’s set-up.

Instead, for 10 years, he trained – although a year above his age – in a group of about 40 players of mixed abilities, who were then split for ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams for games.

Furthermore, they would all meet up at weekends in an indoor hall in the town to play together. Without coaches nor parents.

You could probably call it one of those tightly-knit communities, where everyone simply enjoyed themselves. And their football.

Haaland – looking small indeed – while at Bryne FK (found here).

Father’s influence

Of course, Erling has not done it all by himself.

He could – and would – always count on his father.

“I never got the impression, even for a second, that he put pressure on Erling“, Berntsen said of Alf-Inge Haaland, ex-footballer for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Manchester City and Norway himself.

The father only intervened when his son turned 16, at which point he thought Erling should leave Bryne and start a more independent life – and career – at Molde.

In fact, as Alf-Inge remembers, the teenager then asked him: “why am I moving so early?”

The older of the Haalands has also taken care of his son’s following two January moves – first to Salzburg and now Dortmund – making sure his career path would take several small steps rather than one big.

Erling used to be small, remember.

In the picture: Erling Braut Haaland was having fun on social media while considering which big club to join in this year’s January transfer window

Young January 2020 signings

As the January transfer window is drawing to a close, I have chosen five U20 players who have been on the move this winter.

Louie Barry

Born: 21 June 2003

Nationality: English

Position: forward

From: Barcelona

To: Aston Villa

Aston Villa have this week progressed to the Carabao Cup final. However, it is the signing of a 16-year-old striker from Barcelona that may prove their biggest achievement of the month. Barry had spent 10 years at the West Bromwich Albion Academy before making a controversial move to Spain last summer (having initially been close to joining Paris Saint-Germain). Fast forward six months and he is back in his homeland though – as a reported 1 million euro signing for West Brom’s local rivals. The highly-regarded youngster is now tipped to become Villa’s future number nine and it will be interesting to see whether he features in this season’s Premier League relegation battle for his new club. Or even in the League Cup final against Manchester City.

Reinier

Born: 19 January 2002

Nationality: Brazil

Position: midfielder

From: Flamengo

To: Real Madrid

Real Madrid are slowly undergoing a change of guard. With captain Sergio Ramos as well as Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale and Marcelo now all in their thirties, the time has come to inject fresh blood into the team. Following in the footsteps of fellow Brazilians Vinícius and Rodrygo, Reinier is expected to crown the Real Madrid of the future – alongside the likes of Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, Achraf Hakimi, Federico Valverde, Martin Ødegaard and his two compatriots.

Erling Braut Håland

Born: 21 July 2000

Nationality: Norwegian

Position: forward

From: Red Bull Salzburg

To: Borussia Dortmund

The 19-year-old is not even yet fully match fit, but he has already scored five times off the bench in his first two Bundesliga appearances. The left-footer, who was born in Leeds, only left his hometown club Byrne FK at the age of 16 and then only swapped Molde for Salzburg this time last year. Borussia Dortmund supporters are now eagerly awaiting his first start for the club. And no wonder.

Dejan Kulusevski

Born: 25 April 2000

Nationality: Swedish

Position: attacking midfielder

From: Atalanta

To: Juventus

Another 19-year-old Scandinavian attacking player on this list, Kulusevski has both started and will have finished this season on loan(s) at Parma. Having been born on the outskirts of Stockholm, he spent 10 years at local club IF Brommapojkarna before signing for Atalanta at the age of 16. Tall, skilful and with an eye for a penetrating pass – and also, like Håland, left-footed – Kulusevski could go to Euro 2020 with Sweden and will become Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate next season.

Ian Poveda

Born: 9 February 2000

Nationality: English

Position: forward

From: Manchester City

To: Leeds United

As with Jadon Sancho in the past, Pep Guardiola could not guarantee a youngster the playing time that he both wanted and needed. “Leeds is an incredible challenge to be training with one of the best managers in the world in terms of how he helps players to be better players”, said the Manchester City boss having at least managed to send the highly-rated Poveda to one of his own coaching mentors in Marcelo Bielsa. Meanwhile, the English champions have also retained the right to resign the now 19-year-old in the future. Perhaps incredibly, Poveda had spent three years at Chelsea, two at Arsenal, two at Barcelona and two at Brentford before eventually signing for City at the age of 16. He may now be hoping the Championship table-topping Leeds United will also prove only a short-term stop on his career pathway.

In the picture: Erling Braut Håland (left) alongside teammate Tord Salte at Bryne, aged 14 (found here)