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They came, they saw and they conquered. We associate them with success, greatness and fame that takes them to the very top bracket of the best in the game. They are the stars of the game – those who have won trophies and dazzled millions of fans worldwide with their feats on the pitch. They are those players who're looked up to and copied by countless youth players, training to be professionals in every nook and corner of the world. They are the class – the cream of their respective playing positions, and their brilliance and style of play is unique and distinctive. These are the stars of football, idolized by fans and aspiring players alike.
The cream of young footballing talent, which is ready to take over from the current crop of stars and stalwarts in the not-too-distant future, consists of a fair few players who seem to possess the skillset and flair and play in a manner that instantly reminds avid football fans of today’s best players. The youngster may not necessarily play in the same position or role as the star he is being compared to, but his style, and in a few cases even his physique and appearance is reminiscent of the latter. Let’s take a look at 5 players aged 23 or below who remind us of stars from the past decade.
#1 Marco Verratti and Xavi
Xavi has been the preeminent midfield maestro of the star-studded Barcelona and Spanish National team midfields: a fact, which in itself, should indicate his immense ability and talent.
Marco Verratti is steadily gaining in reputation as a deep-lying playmaker with the work rate and lungs that are required of every top midfielder. Verratti has broken into the Italian national team, beating off competition from the likes of Claudio Marchisio to establish himself as a regular feature of Conte’s first-choice starting XI.
Marco exudes the same grace as Xavi on the ball. In terms of ability to control the tempo of the game from midfield, he truly is second to none: in fact, he averaged a 93.7% pass completion percentage in the Champions League last season, figures that stand alongside Xavi’s own at his very peak.
Although Verratti plays in a deeper role than Xavi, his ability in tight spaces, eye for a pass and general cool and calm presence are reminiscent of the latter. A worthy successor to one of the legendary midfielders of the game.
#2 Isco and Andres Iniesta
Isco is probably the most delightful player to watch at Real Madrid this season, in purely aesthetic terms. Iniesta has been Barcelona’s most delectable for a number of years. They exude a grace on the ball which only the other is capable of matching up to.
Their first touch and their range of dribbling skills are almost identical. They can change direction at the drop of a hat, and they perform body feints and fakes perfectly. Perhaps the best aspect of their dribbling is their wonderful close control, aided by their quick foot movement.
They play the no. 10 role to perfection, although these days they are generally employed at other positions, either in central midfield or as wide midfielders.
The one thing Isco cannot claim to have like Iniesta is a strong ‘weak foot’ – Iniesta has a great shot with both feet and has scored some screamers with his left foot too. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be too long before Isco is viewed as Spain’s predominant no. 10, and fans would still feel no compromise, aesthetically or otherwise.
#3 Paul Pogba and Yaya Toure
They are two behemoths prowling in the center of the park for the defending league champions in England and Italy. Both possess the ability to change the course of a match with a single move in the blink of an eye, evidenced quite recently by Toure’s strike against Sunderland in City’s 3-2 win over bogey team, and Pogba’s top drawer strike against Napoli. Both the strikes came in performances that were otherwise quite ordinary.
Pogba, the Manchester United ‘reject’ who grabbed the spotlight after being offloaded to Juventus in the summer of 2012, has grown by leaps and bounds. Currently, he is the most sought-after midfielder under the age of 23.
Physically and stylistically very similar to Yaya Toure, Pogba possesses slick dribbling skills, the ability to open up defences with pinpoint passes and crosses. His close control and first touch simply add to the beauty of his game and make him a thoroughly watchable player, just like the Ivorian.
#4 Lucas Moura and Franck Ribery
The fact that Lucas Moura’s a humongous talent was never in any doubt from the moment he arrived in Paris 2 years ago. His pace, willingness to take on and beat defenders and directness of play is reminiscent of another marauding winger who’s been terrorizing right backs for nearly a decade now – Franck Ribery.
Both Ribery and Lucas are significant crossing threats and have routinely created hordes of chances for their strikers. Both are capable of unhinging defenses when the game is stretched by playing the strikers in. And both of them possess the ability to score match-changing goals when the need arises.
Apart from their approach and their styles of play, both of them exude a confidence that is quite unnerving to opposition fullbacks. While Ribery is a player who prefers to play on the left wing, cutting inside to create or shoot, Lucas prefers to hug the right touchline and generally prefers to be the provider.
Lucas could do with improving his finishing – his dribbling ability is already at par, or even better than Ribery at his best – he’s Brazilian, after all! Once he establishes himself as a clinical finisher, he could give Neymar and Eden Hazard a run for their money as the best of the next generation.
#5 Jese Rodriguez and Arjen Robben
Speedsters. Tricksters. Finishers. Marauders. Each of these adjectives describes Robben and Jese to an extent, but all fall short of describing Robben or what Jese is on the track to become. That’s the thing about world-class players: a little extra-something which can’t always be quantified.
Jese seems to have it. He’s displayed it quite in the early stages of his professional career, and forced his way into contention for a place in the first XI competing for places with Gareth Bale – Premier League Player of the Year not so long ago.
For longer than a decade now, almost all defenders have known what Robben will be aiming to do when playing on the right flank – cut inside with his left foot, or run down the flank with a long step before again forcing his way inside. Almost none of them have succeeded in containing him. He seems to find a way through all those difficulties.
Jese, with his speed, reading of the game, great work off the ball and an eye for goal, has all the makings of the next great wide forward to come into the game.
