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U-20 footballers were often seen as greenhorns who were not ready for first-team affairs. That was what the perception was for a long time, until recently, when teenage footballers changed how they were perceived. Now they are not just being locked into academy teams and touted as ones for the future. Wonderkids all across the footballing world are now getting involved in first-team affairs.
Names like Pedri, Mason Greenwood, and Ansu Fati have become household names in recent times. Playing for big clubs is no longer a hindrance as teenage footballers are more ambitious than ever. They seeking minutes, and are performing better than some of the more established names in their respective clubs.
Top 10 U-20 footballers with the best scoring rates for clubs across Europe's Big 5 leagues
Goal scoring is one of the most essential activities in football. Goals win matches, and although having good defenders is necessary, a football team has to score the goal first. It is not rocket science to understand the rationale behind football clubs spending a fortune to get goalscorers for their side. However, wonderkids in football are actively stepping up to take on responsibilities and are sharing the workload of their team's principal goal scorers.
#10 Jude Bellingham
It may have seemed funny when Birmingham City decided to retire Jude Bellingham's jersey. But his talent is out in the open for the whole world to see. Jude Bellingham was hotly linked with Manchester United but journeyed to Germany, where the British footballer joined Borussia Dortmund.
At Dortmund, Bellingham is part of an exciting set of other talented teenage footballers that features the likes of Giovani Reyna and Youssoufa Moukoko. Bellingham can operate in both attacking midfield and center. The U-20 footballer has already become a regular at Borussia Dortmund, and he will likely become a world-class player shortly. He has already made 21 starts this season and scored three goals and eight assists.
#9 Saidou Sow
Africa keeps producing highly talented wonderkids time and again, and Saidou Sow is one such amazing talent. The Guinean graduated from the Saint-Etienne academy in France and made his senior debut as a substitute the previous season. It has taken him very little time to establish himself as a senior team starter from a mere youth prospect.
Sow is a defensive wonderkid who plays as a centre-back. Despite his young age, Sow exhibits an excellent sense of football and the ability to read the game. He is equally adept at disrupting opponents and building up the play. Despite being a defender, Sow has already made 10 appearances, and he even has three goal contributions already.
#8 Giovanni Reyna
Borussia Dortmund currently have a host of wonderkids in the club ranks, and Giovanni Reyna is one of those. Son of former American international Caludio Reyna, Gio Reyna joined the U-19 side of Borussia Dortmund from the NYCFC Academy. Since then, he has showcased his talent whenever possible, which has led to Reyna's promotion to senior squad affairs.
The talented American footballer has yet to become a starter for Dortmund. He has made five appearances this season as he recovers from an injury. Reyna can play in wide positions, but he shines the brightest when playing his familiar role of attacking midfield. Despite just five appearances, Reyna has already managed to score twice and make one assist as well.
#7 Felix Afena-Gyan
Felix Afena-Gyan is an exciting talent playing for Serie A club Roma, and his debut in Ctober grabbed the headlines worldwide. Roma were trailing when Afena-Gyan entered the pitch. He struck twice to help Roma take the lead and secure all three points.
Hailing from Ghana, Afena-Gyan joined Roma earlier in the summer. Despite his young age, he has been part of senior team affairs straightaway. He is yet to make a start but based on his performances that include two goals, it will not be too long before Afena-Gyan becomes a starter.
#6 Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati is one of the most prominent wonderkids in world football. His remarkable journey in world football has been one where people often forget that Fati is still a teenager. Fati is a La Masia graduate and seems to be the best output of the academy since Lionel Messi.
Fati first broke through the senior ranks in a stellar fashion that took notice of the entire footballing world. Nations changed for his signature for their national sides, but Fati chose Spain. He has even represented Spain at a senior level already. All this has happened, and yet, Fati is not even 20. He has also taken on the legendary No. 10 shirt at Barcelona.
Although he has had a slow start after picking up an injury, Fati has already made eight appearances this season. He has five goal contributions in those - four goals and one assist.
#5 Georginio Rutter
Germany has no shortage of wonderkids at the moment, and it is spread across many clubs, one of which is TSG Hoffenheim. Georginio Rutter spent several years in France, a graduate of the Rennes academy. He made his debut for Stade Rennais the previous season and made the switch to Hoffenheim in the summer. Since then, Rutter has never looked back.
Rutter has sealed the starting spot with his performances despite being very young. He has already made 16 appearances for Hoffenheim and has seven-goal contributions. Rutter has scored four goals and made three assists so far.
The French centre-forward is extremely fast and agile and uses his pace to better his opponents. At this rate, the Hoffenheim wonderkid will soon attract the attention of the major giants in European football.
#4 Kamaldeen Sulemana
Over the last couple of years, Stade Rennais in France has gifted many teenage footballers. Like Georginio Rutter and Eduardo Camavinga, few have moved on to greener pastures, but some prospects are still left. Kamaldeen Sulemana seems to be the next big wonderkid in French football. The left-winger has looked promising so far and has created a deep impression in his outings.
Sulemana has been a pivotal figure for Stade Rennais this season. He has made 21 appearances already before December, and the Ghanaian teenage star has made seven goal contributions already. Out of those seven, Sulemana has netted five times himself and helped others twice. It is to be seen where Sulemana goes from here as Liverpool have reportedly been linked with the U-20 talent.
#3 Arnaud Kalimuendo
PSG have no shortage of superstars and great prospects. The Parisian club employ the services of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front.
But Arnaud Kalimuendo, a PSG graduate from their U-19 side, is making news for all the right reasons. Kalimuendo has been in stellar form for RC Lens, on loan from PSG.
Kalimuendo is a talented Frenchman who has already netted four times for PSG. He excels in the centre-forward position and, like Georginio Rutter, is a highly pacy footballer. It is evident that Kalimuendo has an extremely high ceiling and is destined for success.
#2 Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz made his debut for Bayer Leverkusen at the age of 16. He was so impressive as a teenager that the German wonderkid has never looked back since. Bayer fast-tracked his development and moved him into the first-team squad from their U-19 side. Since then, Wirtz has grown step by step, and the creative wonderkid is already a first-team regular.
Wirtz has already made 18 appearances in the current season, and his performances have been nothing but stellar. Wirtz operates in a central attacking midfield position and has made a remarkable 11 assists this season.
Wirtz also demonstrates excellent goal-scoring ability and has scored eight times so far. The Bayer wonderkid was also the Bundesliga player of the month for September.
#1 Hugo Ekitike
France seems to have an abundance of wonderkids and other talented youngsters, especially in the attacking department. One has to look no further than Stade Reims wonderkid, Hugo Ekitike. The teenage centre-forward has been a livewire for the French club and is an academy product. Ekitike has an immense talent for taking on defenders and beating them with guile and skill.
Ekitike started in the age divisions but was quickly promoted to the primary side due to an injury crisis. He began as a sub-option but made enough contributions to deserve a starting spot. The French wonderkid, also eligible for Cameroon, has made 14 senior appearances so far.
He has already netted six times. He has more league goals in the teenage category in the big five leagues than anyone else at the moment. It is highly likely that if Ekitike can continue his form, big things await him at the end of the season.
