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While most professional footballers break into their club's first team at 22 or 23 years of age, there are some prodigies at every club that achieve superstardom in their teenage years. The last few seasons in Europe have seen several exciting new talents emerge from academies across the continent.
Kylian Mbappe earned himself a record-breaking £166m move to PSG, while Ousmane Dembele was signed by Barcelona to fill the void of Neymar for around €105 million. A couple of seasons ago, Manchester United signed little-known French teenager Anthony Martial for £36 million, a transfer which has reaped great benefits.
Similarly, there are several teenagers in the Premier League who are lighting up the English top flight. 22 or 23 is no longer the age when players announce themselves to the world. These days, teenagers as young as 16 or 17 are regularly making first team debuts.
Here we take a look at the five best teenagers who are playing major roles at their clubs already.
#5 Timothy Fosu-Mensah
The Dutch youngster started his career in the Netherlands with Ajax, but later joined Manchester United's academy in 2014.
He made his breakthrough in the first team as an 18-year-old in 2016 in a 3-2 win over Arsenal at home, coming on as a substitute for Marcos Rojo. A spate of injuries meant that he got on-and-off chances to play with the senior team, but was never really able to nail down a place in the starting XI.
His versatility enables him to play at centre-back, right-back and defensive midfield. His playing style is characterised by pace, strength, and strong tackling, and he quickly made himself a fan-favourite with his energy and high work rate.
Mourinho's decision to send him out on loan to Crystal Palace was met with some flak from the fans, but it turned out to be the right decision. In what has been a dismal start to the season for the Eagles, Fosu-Mensah has been a rare silver lining. He's been one of their best defenders so far, in a defence that has conceded an average of 2.4 goals per game.
He's featured at both centre-back and right-back, but his best position might be down the flank. Following the battering by City, Roy Hodgson couldn't use him for the match against United. His replacement, however, didn't fare so well.
Joel Ward was absolutely slaughtered, first by Rashford, and then by second-half substitute Martial. Fosu-Mensah will get the chance to feature in the next match against Chelsea, however.
With Valencia turning 33 next August, Fosu-Mensah's performances for Palace might see him earn himself a future first-team place under Mourinho as his first choice right-back. Either way, United fans will be eagerly awaiting his return to the club next summer to know the Portuguese boss' plans for the obviously talented youngster.
#4 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold made his official debut for Liverpool on 25th October 2016, starting in a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the EFL Cup.
In November 2016, he signed a new long-term deal at the club along with fellow graduate Ben Woodburn.
The right-back has good pace and can put in a tackle or two. His crossing is excellent, and so is his positioning. He's also a very good dead-ball specialist, as he showed with his free kick against Hoffenheim in the Champions League qualifier.
Jurgen Klopp has so far rotated between him and Joe Gomez at right-back, which means he is going to get several first-team opportunities this season. Gomez is actually a natural centre-back, so there's also a very good possibility of him establishing himself as the first choice.
With Liverpool's first choice Nathaniel Clyne still injured, Alexander-Arnold will have to take each and every chance that comes his way, because Clyne has been one of their most consistent defenders over the past couple of seasons. But if the 18-year-old puts in some good performances, there is every chance that he might oust the former Southampton man.
#3 Ben Woodburn
The youngest player on this list by some distance, the 17-year-old became Liverpool's youngest ever goalscorer (17 years and 45 days) when he scored in the EFL Cup against Leeds. On 2nd September, he became the second-youngest goalscorer (behind Gareth Bale) for Wales when he scored against Austria in World Cup qualifying.
These are some impressive records for such a young player. Even though he plays as a winger, he doesn't possess the pace that is naturally associated with the position. Instead, he relies more on dribbling and passing to create chances for his teammates.
As his screamer for Wales suggested, he's also got a very good shot, which makes his playing style similar to Philippe Coutinho.
Unfortunately, Liverpool's extensive attacking options in the form of Mane, Salah, Firmino and Coutinho mean that he isn't likely to get many first-team opportunities.
But he's still only 17, and Klopp is a manager who likes to give a lot of chances to youth players. Woodburn will definitely get chances in cup matches against lower league sides, giving him invaluable experience.
A loan spell or two might be on the horizon for the youngster. And you never know, if Coutinho eventually decides to join Barca, Klopp might not need to look farther than his own academy for a long-term replacement.
#2 Tom Davies
Davies was handed a Premier League debut by former Everton boss Roberto Martinez in a 1-1 draw with Southampton at Goodison Park. That was back in April 2016, when he was still only 17.
Since then, he's made 32 appearances, scoring 2 goals for Everton. But the performance that really catapulted him into the limelight came during a 4-0 win over Man City in the league last season.
Playing in central midfield, he pitched in with some very important tackles, breaking down play, and not affording David Silva any space in the middle. He was duly rewarded for his excellent performance with a wonderful goal at the end of an amazing run.
On 9th April, he scored the joint-fastest goal of the season (30 seconds) in a 4-2 win over Leicester.
A very versatile player, he can play in central midfield, attacking midfield or as a winger. He's appeared in every match for Everton so far this season, either as a substitute or from the start. The decent form of 20-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Everton's recent spate of new signings has limited his opportunities up front, but Ronald Koeman clearly feels he is better suited for a box-to-box role.
His playing style is similar to that of midfielders like Nainggolan or Vidal. He's fast, a decent dribbler, and a very strong tackler. All he lacks right now is the physicality, and that is natural considering his age. If he does manage to bulk up a bit, Everton might find themselves with a future superstar in their hands.
#1 Marcus Rashford
Rashford will actually turn 20 on 31st October, but as of now, there's no doubt that he's the best teenager in the division, and arguably one of the best wingers in any age group.
He broke into the first team when Anthony Martial was injured in the warm up to the match against Danish side FC Midtjylland in the Europa League Round of 32. He scored twice in that match in an emphatic 5-1 win, helping the Red Devils overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
He scored another brace that weekend in a 3-2 win over Arsenal at Old Trafford. United fans were justifiably excited with the latest youngster to have graduated from the famed academy, but what they didn't know then was the vast set of qualities he possessed.
His goals against Midtjylland and Arsenal were typical poacher's finishes, but when Louis van Gaal began utilising him as a wide man (following Martial's return from injury), he began bamboozling the crowd with his extraordinary pace, dribbling and a direct attacking approach.
In his second season at the club, Mourinho continued to use him as a winger, choosing to start him most of the time ahead of Martial. He was nominated for the Golden Boy award, but finished a runner-up to Bayern Munich's Renato Sanches. He made the most number of appearances that season (53) of any United player.
He's already won four trophies at the club, and made 50 appearances, scoring 12 goals. This season, Martial's excellent form has led to Mourinho rotating the duo on the left wing. To his credit, Rashford has managed to keep the pressure on Martial and has featured in every match so far this season, scoring 5 goals and assisting 4 times.
He also has 11 caps for the English national team, and played a match-winning performance in their recent 2-1 win over Slovakia, with one goal and one assist. That performance has almost certainly propelled him up the pecking order, ahead of Sterling and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
While all the players on this list are stars to look out for in the future, Rashford is already a superstar in his own right. He is probably one of the most important players for United right now and will continue being a central figure for both club and country for the next 10 years.
