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The nPower Championship has proven to be a great market for hand-picking young talents with potential to star on the big stage. You only need to look at the likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Victor Moses, Kyle Naughton, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka and Kyle Walker, who all have either international caps or played in European competitions this season. It is evident that the Championship is a league where young players can nurture their talents and define ability. Nathaniel Clyne, Steven Fletcher, Robert Snodgrass and Jonny Howson are also former nPower Championship players now playing in the Barclays Premier League. England capped goalkeeper Jack Butland and fellow countryman Wilfried Zaha are the latest to make the step up to Premier League level having already agreed deals to sign in the summer to Stoke City (£3.5m) and Manchester United (£15m) respectively.
In this article, we will introduce you to the future football stars of the English League. These great talents plays regularly in the English nPower Championship.
Will Hughes, Derby County, (07/04/95), CM
Will Hughes is a remarkable young English talent. The newly capped England Under-21 midfielder has the potential to go the furthest, as he became the 2nd youngest ever to appear at that level, just behind a certain Theo Walcott! Known for his flair and dribbling ability, Will Hughes has already made his mark in the County first team, having made 38 appearances and scoring twice within his first 2 years as a professional footballer.
In January 2013, it was reported that the 18 year old had almost half of the Premier League clubs keeping a watchful eye over his form and future potential. Despite the fact none were willing to take the risk in the most recent transfer window, it won’t be long before this young man is plying his trade at the likes of Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and The Emirates.
Although he is currently being compared to the likes of Xavi and Iniesta, his playing style is more of a Box-to-Box midfielder with plenty of versatility and a game changing moment in his locker. So, keep an eye out for this young man, as I would wager my house and car that he outgrows the English youth team before the age of 21 and will likely be partnering Jack Wilshere as replacements for long-standing midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
You can read more about Will Hughes in our list of Top 10 Young Football Talents of 2013.
Matej Vydra, Watford, (01/05/92), ST
The Czech striker Matej Vydra was awarded the 2012/13 nPower Championship Player of the Year. Having notched 20 goals at a rate of a goal every second game, the Udinese loanee has been in terrific form for Watford in his first season in the English game. His manager, former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola, has publicly stated that he wants to sign the Czech Republic international on a permanent basis, a deal which could be helped by the fact that Watford and parent club Italians Udinese share the same owners.
Matej Vydra has already been capped 7 times for the Czech national team, scoring twice in their recent 3-0 win over Armenia. The recently turned 21 year old looks set to have a bright future in the English game if he decides to remain at Watford permanently. Matej Vydra and his strike partner Troy Deeney have been instrumental in Watford’s push for promotion to the top tier of the English game, even though they were only outsiders for promotion and are now in a 4-way shootout with Crystal Palace, Brighton and Leicester for the last remain spot via the play-offs.
Watford’s current top goal scorer has shown his devastating mixture of pace and composure, scoring two goals in as many minutes against Brighton & Hove Albion is one of his seasonal highlights. His breed of a quick, composed goal scorer (similar to a younger Michael Owen) is rarely found around the leagues at the moment and has proven to be a contributing factor in Watford’s successful season.
There is much speculation about the young Czech Republican’s future, with some even touting him to replace Borussia’s Robert Lewandowski should he leave Dortmund this summer.
Tom Ince, Blackpool, (30/01/92), AMR/L
Probably the most familiar player on this list is England under 21 international, Tom Ince. Not only is his cousin in girl band The Saturdays, but his father (and current club manager), is former England and Manchester Untied favorite Paul Ince. Tom Ince has risen through the ranks at Liverpool but when the Anfield club deemed him not worthy of a new contract in 2011, Championship side Blackpool snapped him up. The ironic January transfer bid, believed to be around £6m, from Liverpool to bring him back to the club was rejected as Blackpool value him at a higher price.
The 21 year old winger, who has played for England in every level apart from the senior team, has been quoted to saying that he is only willing to leave Blackpool for a different club should he be guaranteed first team football.
Finishing third behind Matej Vydra and Crystal Palace’s 30-goal Glenn Murray in the nPower Championship’s Player of the Year is a great achievement for this youngster, who happened to win the league’s Young player of the year this season.
Although biased, his father/manager has stated that if the recent Manchester United signing of similar player Wilfried Zaha is anything to go by, then his son is valued somewhere around £25m. In comparison, Tom Ince has notched 12 more goals than Zaha this season in an inferior Blackpool side.
Tom Ince is a quick, tricky winger with the ability to change any game; he is a similar player to the likes of Aaron Lennon and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain.
Sam Byram, Leeds United, (16/09/93), RB
Sam Byram is one of a unique kind, having signed his first senior contract last summer and going on to play 44 games in his first season. The majority of players are slowly worked into a team, with some often sent out on loan for a few years to gather first team experience. The 19 year old right sided defender, who also scored 3 goals this year, has made the position at his club his own and is one of the first names on the former UEFA Champions League regulars Leeds United team sheet, and although the fallen giants are much changed this year, the ever-present has been Sam Byram.
Sam Byram is a solid full back with plenty of pace and ability to overlap the player in front. He attracted attention from many Premier League sides, with Manchester City reported to be tabling a £10m bid for him in the next transfer window. Despite the fact that Byram hasn’t yet appeared in the international set-up yet, it is only a matter of time before he follows the likes of Harry Kewell, Alan Smith, Paul Robinson, James Milner and Jonathan Woodgate from the Leeds Academy into their respective International sides.
If you want to see this boy’s ability, you should look up his goal against Oxford United in the Capital One Cup to witness something you would only expect from the likes of Gareth Bale (whom Byram also managed to keep at bay this season) and a young man by the name of Lionel Messi.
Nathan Redmond, Birmingham City, (06/04/94), Wide Midfielder
Finally, rounding off this list of Top 5 Championship starlets, we have Birmingham City winger, Nathan Redmond. The England under 19 international has yet to make an appearance in the top tier of English football, but does, however, have 5 appearances and 1 goal (against Portuguese side Nacional) in the Europa League.
The 19 year old wide midfielder has been at Birmingham since he was just 8 years old and made his debut at 16 in the Capital One Cup against Rochdale. Nathan Redmond is more of a wide midfielder than winger, can play on either side of the midfield and has been one of the stars of the nPower Championship in recent times.
Interest in Nathan Redmond is high, with Barclays Premier League sides West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United having him near the top of their summer wish lists for a price of around £6m.
