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The year 2016 is set to bring us many things to be excited for: the Olympics in Rio, X-Men Apocalypse, the US Presidential campaign... the list goes on. As a football fan, it seems there is not too much to look forward to (albeit a top four Leicester finish). PSG will romp to the Ligue Un title, Bayern will get the title with a couple of weeks to go, Juventus will probably win the Scudetto, and Barcelona will defend the champions league (note: not all of these are guaranteed to happen. But they probably will.) But all kings must fall, so as the likes of Xabi Alonso, Franceso Totti and Zlatan Ibrahimovic enter the twilight years of their careers, new young stars must take their place. Which youngsters will impress the most in 2016?
#5 Martin degaard
Hailing from Norway, Ødegaard was born in December 1998 to a football ll family; his father, Hans Erik Ødegaad, was a midfielder for Strømsgodset. Martin himself played for the club, where he debuted at the tender age of 15. He was a local hero, his pace, jaw-dropping skill and intelligence attracting interest from a host of European powerhouses.
Despite interest from Liverpool, Southampton, the two Manchester sides and even Barcelona, Ødegaard donned the famous white shirt and signed with Real Madrid.
Despite a slightly anticlimactic start to life at Real Madrid, there is no doubting the budding Swedish teenager’s footballing adroitness. Ødegaard is currently playing under Zidane’s Castilla team, where he is developing himself into an exceptional player.
He trains with the first squad, in the mix with players like Ronaldo and Gareth Bale who will surely educate the youngster as to how to become the very best. His extreme talent has given him an international call-up, representing his country at the age of just 15.
What a 2015 it has been for Martin Ødegaard. From studying for secondary school exams to collecting colossal paychecks in Madrid, his life has been turned on its head. Many say that the move to such a big club like Madrid would harm his development and that a move to a club such as Southampton that are renowned for nurturing talent would be more beneficial.
Perhaps they are right. But it’s wrong to say that his career is ruined; he has acres of time to turn it around. Perhaps a loan move away from the Bernabeu will do the trick for young Odegaard. 2016 could be a massive three hundred and sixty-six days for the young Norwegian.
#4 Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw emerged onto the footballing scene from Southampton’s famed youth system, making his debut for the Saints in January 2012. A rare English talent, he impressed the hierarchy at Southampton, becoming a regular first team player at the tender age of 17. While his defending abilities were sound, Shaw’s claim to fame was his ability to attack, the epitome of a modern full-back.
His attacking prowess, defensive competence and pace drew the financial magnet of Manchester United, who pulled Shaw to Old Trafford in a mammoth 30 million pound deal. At the time, this was a world record signing for a teenager, previously held by fellow Red Devil Wayne Rooney.
Unfortunately, the English defender didn’t nearly live up to the hype. In a season characterised by below-par performances and warming the bench, Luke Shaw started just 12 games under Louis Van Gaal. His frustration was evident, but he showed his steel by persevering and turned his career around in the 2015/2016 season.
His performances improved exponentially and was arguably Manchester United’s best player until mid-September. His defensive capability and decision making were key components in the solidity at the back for the Reds, while his surging runs forward were like piercing knives in the back of opponents, causing plenty of damage. Things were looking up for the English fullback, who was enjoying playing the best football of his career.
But in a cruel twist of fate, Shaw was brought back down to Earth. In United’s Champions League clash with PSV, Héctor Moreno put in a horrific challenge on the Man United full-back, resulting in an agonizing double leg fracture. Football fans around the world have sympathized with the young prospect, who received words of comfort from all over the globe.
Hèctor Moreno himself laid down a genuine apology to the Englishman. The missing presence of the full back has been evident since his absence in September, as Manchester United’s defense lost its initial solidity.
Once Luke Shaw returns, possibly by the end of the season, Old Trafford will welcome him back with open arms. As football fans, we hope that Shaw can come back stronger and realize his immense potential to be one of the world's best left-backs.
#3 Youri Tielemans
Young Belgians always seem to take the football world by storm: Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and are just a few names that immediately come to mind. Youri Tielemans is no exception. Originating from the small municipality of Belgium’s Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Tielemans joined the Anderlecht academy at the age of five.
He climbed the rungs of Anderlecht’s ladder and at the age of 16 he made his first senior squad appearance for the club. Since then, Tielemans has only progressed in his quest for stardom. At 16 years old, he made his first Champions League appearance; the third youngest player to do so.
In 2014 and 2015 he was voted Young Footballer of the Year, and in 2015 he won the award of Belgium’s Most Promising Newcomer. In the 2015/2016 campaign thus far, he has four goals to his name in nineteen appearances; a very decent return for a winger, and a young one at that.
Tielemans started his career as a holding midfielder, controlling the game from deep areas. But recently, Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi has moved him forward, where his success has only increased.
What makes Tielemans such a delicious prospect is that he has barrels of pace, fantastic long range passing, he’s two-footed (which is always desirable) and he has a lethal long shot, scoring the occasional screamer from distance. His versatility is also something to be admired, with the ability to play as a holding midfielder or as an attacking, box to box one.
Youri Tielemans is widely considered as one of football’s next best players. At the age of just eighteen, he encapsulates the model of a modern midfielder, possessing key aspects such as physicality, tenacity, pace and skill. Unfortunately for the 2013/2014 Belgian football champions, it’s only a matter of time before Anderlecht have to let go of their prized possession.
European glory and success seem to be Tieleman’s destiny but unfortunately, these will probably evade him at Anderlecht. In January or the summer, he will likely move on to a bigger European club- perhaps a Premier League team, or one of the European giants.
But moves to smaller, but still very good teams such as Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund may prove to be intelligent choices. With big clubs keeping a watchful eye on the dazzling midfielder, his future seems uncertain, but bright nonetheless.
#2 Ruben Loftus-Cheek
I promise you, this is the last young English player on this list.
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is not a manager that is known to utilize many academy youngsters like Mauricio Pochettino does. So when the Special One heaps praise on an academy graduate, he must be eyeing something special. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the English 19-year-old midfielder, has been praised by the Portuguese manager many a time, recently stating that ‘he is in a position to compete with the others for positions and minutes’.
Additionally, many Chelsea fans feel that the boy should be given more senior squad appearances, as this may boost their performances. Even supporters of other clubs reluctantly compliment the midfielder. So this begs the question: why is the Premier League so enamored by this player?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the ideal blend of physicality and technical skill, making him tailor-made for the Premier League. He towers over opponents with a 6’3 stature and makes his strong presence known by dominating the center of the pitch. Furthermore, his ability to go from box to box and his skill on the ball have made coaches around the country raise their eyebrows with keen interest.
However, with Chelsea’s notorious reputation to stifle young talents, and with Loftus-Cheek’s contract winding down, the midfielder may be swayed by the lure of more playing time and elsewhere and could attach himself to another club.
As of now, Loftus-Cheek’s first-team appearances have been limited to mere cameos, which the youngster is undoubtedly frustrated about. Jose Mourinho was hesitant to play him; whether it was Mourinho’s lack of faith in the kid or his general distrust of young players, we don’t know.
But with Chelsea fan’s demands to start Loftus-Cheek and the recent appointment of Guus Hiddink as an interim manager, Loftus-Cheek may yet have his chance at Chelsea and fulfill his massive, massive potential. Could he fill in the gaping hole that Frank Lampard left when he departed the Bridge?
#1 Kingsley Coman
When a player is the youngest debutant in the history of Paris Saint-Germain, a substitute in the Champions League final for Juventus, and a Bayern Munich semi-first team player, he must be pretty good. And when he celebrated only his 19th birthday on the 13th of June, 2015, there must be something extraordinary about him.
Kingsley Coman, the 19-year-old French forward, is making headlines during his loan spell at Bayern Munich, after being an academy graduate at Paris Saint-Germain and producing a man of the match performance on his debut at Juventus. In previous years, he was scouted by FIFA Career Mode enthusiasts, but 2015 was the year where he shone the brightest.
In the 2015 summer transfer window, the Old Lady exported the promising talent to Bavaria, where he has exceeded all expectations. Coman already has netted three goals in eleven appearances for Bayern Munich, earning the praise of Pep Guardiola himself, who declared that the additions of Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa have improved his Bayern Munich side. Let that sink in.
The 19-year-old has visibly improved Bayern Munich, a team which reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2015, a team featuring the likes of Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski and Arturo Vidal. For a 19-year-old to achieve this is unthinkable.
Coman’s skill, pace and ball control have made Robben and Ribery's injuries less painful for the Bayern fans, who have quickly fallen in love with the young Frenchman. At Juventus, the Frenchman was frequently deployed as a winger. He holds the ball up well, he has a sublime first touch and is extremely agile.
Kingsley seems to like the physical side of the game, frequently using his strength to outmuscle opponents. Additionally, Coman does his defensive duties, and he does them well. Bayern Munich have definitely got much more than their money’s worth.
As Bayern's star wingers are beginning to show signs of fading, 2016 could see the emergence of the magnificent young starlet that is Kingsley Coman. Could he become a future Ballon d'Or winner? Well, I don’t see why not.
