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Spotting footballing talent at a young age is vital for any football club, at any level. In some of Europe’s top leagues, it can change the fortunes of a club, if not on the pitch, then on the balance sheet.In the modern era, the game has undergone a lot of changes and the new breed of footballers have adapted and have been trained according to those requirements.Here are five players aged nineteen or under who look set to take the world of football by storm in years to come, if they can keep their heads whilst those around them lose theirs.
#1 Julian Brandt
The 2015/16 season could be a big one for Julian Brandt. The 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen attacker has all the physical and technical tools to go far in the game, but the next stage of his career will test his mentality and football nous. Brandt has represented his country at youth level from u15s onwards, and he was in the Germany squad for the FIFA U20 World Cup this summer.
On the pitch, he was head and shoulders above most other players at the tournament, both literally and metaphorically. His combination of pace, athleticism, and skill, plus the fact he’s over 6ft tall, means he looks like he should be in the senior national side rather than the U20s. Breaking into Die Mannschaft will be a tough ask, especially given the abundance of talent Germany currently has across the age groups, but if he progresses as expected, then he’ll be impossible to ignore.
Brandt, born in Bremen in Northwestern Germany, played his youth football for local sides SC Borgfeld and FC Oberneuland, before joining Wolfsburg’s academy. He scored 13 goals for Wolfsburg’s youth side as they won the U19 Bundesliga in the 2012/13 season. In January 2014 he signed a professional contract with Bayer Leverkusen, over on the eastern side of Germany, and it wasn’t long before he was making his Bundesliga debut, coming on as a late substitute in Leverkusen’s 2-1 defeat at home to FC Schalke.
Since then, he’s gone on to appear regularly for his club, even though he doesn’t always start games, but it’ll be difficult for his manager, Roger Schmidt, to ignore him in the upcoming season. A right-footed, versatile forward, Brandt’s game is all about making things happen in the final third. He’s a direct runner, using his size and speed to get at opposition defenders, but he’ll also look to cross or play through balls to a main striker.
He has the raw, unfettered talent of a young Cristiano Ronaldo, and whilst any such comparison is obviously ridiculous, he’ll be looking towards the 2015/16 season as one where he adds more goals and assists to his game, as the Portuguese star did during his own development at Manchester United.
#2 Simone Scuffet
Wise men say only fools predict big things for goalkeepers aged 19 and under. The further back on a football pitch you go, the more experience plays a part in how good the player is. However, occasionally there’s a player who’s mentally mature beyond their years, whilst also possessing the physical and technical attributes required to excel in their position.
Udinese’s Simone Scuffet is one of those players. Labelled as the new Gianluigi Buffon before he’d even had chance to put his gloves on, Scuffet made his league debut for Udinese on February 1st 2014 at the age of just 17. His side won 2-0 away at Bologna, giving the young goalkeeper a clean sheet on his debut. He achieved his second clean sheet in the next game, his home debut, as Udinese defeated Chievo 3-0 at the Stadio Friuli.
He finished the 2013/14 season as his club’s first choice 'keeper, but was unable to keep hold of the starting spot into the 2014/15 season, as the then 29-year-old Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis was preferred between the posts by manager Andrea Stramaccioni. Going into the 2015/16 season, Udinese, now under head coach Stefano Colantuono, decided to send Scuffet down a level to Serie B side Como, who are more than happy to have him on their books.
Scuffet is a proactive, athletic goalkeeper with quick reactions. At 6ft1 he’s not the tallest for his position, but uses his frame to its full extent when going down to save or coming for crosses. A full season in a lower league as the first choice ‘keeper could be vital for his development, as a young goalkeepers career can be so fragile; especially if the player in question has had high praise at an early age.
Errors are part of any goalkeeper’s game, whether they’re an experienced pro in their late 30s, or a teenager. It’s how they deal with these errors that matters. If anyone has the mentality to emerge from this period unscathed, it’s Scuffet.
#3 Youri Tielemans
RSC Anderlecht have a squad full of exciting young footballers, but when you watch the side play in the Belgian Pro-League or in Europe, one particular member of the team stands out. Stationed in the middle of the park, a player wearing the number 31 seems to have a bit about him. He’s hungry for the ball, and looks to get involved in his side’s attacking build-up play at any opportunity.
The player in question is 18-year-old Youri Tielemans, who made his Anderlecht league debut at the age of 16 in 2013, and at the same age he became the youngest Belgian to appear in the Champions League. Tielemans is a naturally gifted midfielder who has played in both attacking and more deeper lying playmaking roles for his club. He possesses great skill on the ball, as well as a good passing range and an ability to emerge from tight situations with the ball.
The defensive side of his game could improve, but he has been known to position himself well for interceptions, and close down opposition players. Under the right coaching and management he could add to the defensive side of his game, and become the complete midfielder. He also possesses a good shot with his right foot, and has taken penalties for his side, such is the faith in his technique and composure.
He currently plays alongside experienced Belgian international Steven Defour, from whom he’s learnt a lot about the game, and it’s only a matter of time before he joins his club team-mate in the Belgium national side.
#4 Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez signed for Liverpool this summer having turned down Champions League bound clubs Manchester United and Arsenal. He stated that Reds’ manager Brendan Rodgers was the reason behind his decision, and going into the new season you can see why.
Having just turned 18, Gomez might have expected a place in Liverpool’s League Cup side or the occasional outing in the Europa League, but instead he was thrust straight into the first team at left back. The young defender slotted seamlessly into the side in pre-season, and rather than being the shy new signing, he looked like he’d been wearing the red shirt for several years.
His versatility will work in his favour, as will his strength and physicality, but the quality which has stood out so far has been his composure. There was the odd uncertain moment during his debut against Stoke on the opening day of the 2015/16 Premier League season, but he shook these off and often looked more composed than the rest of the Liverpool back four. As well as his defensive solidity, Gomez is a player who has good ability on the ball, and can demonstrate the skill and passing ability of a midfielder.
It wouldn’t be a surprised to see him doing a job as a defensive midfielder in the future, but his natural home will surely be as a ball-playing centre back. There have been comparisons with a certain Italian defender who started out on the left, but it might be more apt to see him as a right-footed version of Éric Abidal - a centre-back who played a similar defensive role at left-back for Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona side.
#5 Kingsley Coman
In the past year, Kingsley Coman has gone from the shadows at PSG, to the limelight of the Juventus first team and a Champions League final appearance. The 19-year-old winger-cum-forward replaced Patrice Evra in the 2015 final, then aged 18, adding a Champions League runners-up medal to his already substantial list of honours.
At the age of 16 years and 8 months, the French youth international became PSG’s youngest ever player thanks to a substitute appearance against Sochaux in February 2013. This meant he picked up a Ligue 1 winners medal that season, and his two appearances during the following campaign meant he collected a winners medal for 2013/14 too.
His contract at PSG expired in the summer of 2014, leading to interest from a number of clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle. He turned down all offers, including one from PSG, to take up the opportunity to join Juventus in Serie A, citing the club’s rich history as the reason behind the decision: “I chose to join Juventus because of their history. It was the club of Platini, Zidane and Trezeguet.”
He made 14 appearances for The Old Lady last season, including 5 starts, and managed to pick up two assists, as well as another league winners medal. He’s highly thought of at Juventus, and appears to have a high level of professionalism to go with his pace, skill, and ability to use his weaker left foot when required. If he can force his way into the first team more regularly, we could expect big things from Kingsley during the 2014/15 season.
