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There are plenty of exciting young players in the Premier League. Most of the English clubs have very efficient youth systems and as a result, we see several eye-catching youngsters being introduced into the English top-flight on a regular basis.
But during that initial phase, where they're slowly getting integrated into the senior side, game time can be scanty. If they're at a big club, youth prospects will get noticed for obvious reasons. But in an underperforming side, they can always slip under the radar even if their individual performances have been impressive.
The Premier League has seen some extremely talented youngsters in recent times, like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Mason Mount, to name a few. But here we take a look at five Premier League youngsters who have been impressive but have failed to get the attention they deserve.
Let's take a look at five Premier League youngsters who have flown under the radar this season.
#5 Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion)
21-year-old Conor Gallagher is yet another offering from the Chelsea conveyor belt. He spent five months on loan at Charlton Athletic and was impressive in League One but was recalled in January 2020 before being sent to Swansea City for the remainder of the 2020-21 campaign.
He secured a loan switch to West Bromwich Albion before the start of the season and though the Baggies have had a poor campaign and have been relegated, Gallagher has turned quite a few heads.
Despite being just 21, Gallagher has pulled the strings for West Bromwich Albion from central midfield. He is West Bromwich's leading ball winner with 179 recoveries. One of his notable moments was whipping in a delightful cross in the early minutes of the game against Manchester United for Mbaye Diagne to nod home to open the scoring for West Brom.
He shows a lot of quality on the ball and possesses admirable confidence. It showed in the two neat first-time strikes with which he secured the first two goals of his Premier League career. Gallagher will return to Chelsea this summer but it remains to be seen whether or not he can break into the star-studded lineup.
#4 Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace used to house one of the best tacklers in the game in Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He was nearly impossible to beat and it wasn't surprising that a big side like Manchester United came knocking for him. Palace have found yet another gem in the same mold in Tyrick Mitchell, a tough-tackling left-back who looks like he could be a future star at Selhurst Park.
From across 18 appearances in the Premier League, Mitchell has won a whopping 58 tackles. He was also pretty precise with his challenges, conceding just eight fouls despite attempting close to 120.
Mitchell and Patrick van Aanholt have been used interchangeably at left-back this season. Van Aanholt is set to depart as a free-agent this summer, leaving Mitchell as the first-choice left-back for the Eagles.
The 21-year-old has shown that there's much more to his game than his efficient tackling and he is certainly one to look out for in the future.
#3 Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
Liverpool youngster Curtis Jones has got more game time than he bargained for this season. In an injury-riddled Liverpool side, Fabinho has had to play at centre-back for the majority of the season and Jordan Henderson's injury proved to be yet another big blow.
With Gini Wijnaldum tipped to leave the club as a free agent in the summer, there is a void in the Liverpool midfield that needs to be filled immediately. It's safe to say that Curtis Jones has done enough to stake a claim for that spot.
Jones' neat passing has set him apart. He has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season and has completed 966 passes at a success rate of 92%. He has also scored a goal and provided two assists from central midfield in the Premier League.
Jones has also proved to be a good ball-carrier and has been lauded for his technique and intelligence this term. But in an underperforming Liverpool team, he hasn't really got the plaudits he would have received.
#2 Illan Meslier (Leeds United)
Leeds United paid £5 million to sign Illan Meslier from Lorient. The youngster had impressed between the sticks during a 10-match stint with Leeds in their triumphant season in the EFL Championship that saw them get promoted to the English top-flight.
Meslier has made 35 appearances for Leeds United, displacing Kiko Casilla as the club's no. 1. He is one of the most improved youngsters in the Premier League and has played a big role in Leeds' impressive run in the second half of the season which will see them finish at least at 10th in the table.
The Leeds goalkeeper has made a total of 140 saves this season and has kept 11 cleansheets which is quite impressive given how Leeds United tend to attack with abandon. Meslier's distribution, particularly throw-outs, has been key for Leeds United's build-from-the-back approach.
His handling has also improved considerably over the course of the season and at just 21-years-old, the future looks bright for Meslier.
#1 Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
Eberechi Eze has been one of the surprise packages of the season and has been impressive for Crystal Palace who have been overreliant on Wilfried Zaha for a long time. The 22-year-old has had an impressive debut for the Eagles and it is a pity that he is now sidelined for about six months after rupturing his Achilles in training.
The left-winger has scored four goals and provided six assists in 34 appearances this Premier League season. He has become an undroppable part of Crystal Palace's starting XI in such a short span of time.
His quick-feet and ability to spring decisive passes in the final third make him a threat quite similar to Wifried Zaha. With a new manager set to replace Hodgson in the summer, Palace will be desperate to keep both Eze and Zaha as this is the first time in years that their attack has looked as promising as it has this season.
