5 young midfielders who could become superstars

Season after season, we are presented with the exuberance of great players across the European Leagues. However, to think of it, the wheels were set in motion a long time ago for their stardom with their perseverance and will to succeed. The leagues continue to churn out quality players year after year and in this segment, we look at 5 young midfielders who have impressed us with their performances.We know its a bit too early to call their careers a success, but these youngsters have shown the right ingredients to become a part of the top brass of the footballing world.

#1 Ruben Neves

Age- 18 Years

Club- FC Porto

Most 18-year-old players would be more than happy to get a chance to at least make the bench of one of Europe’s most successful clubs in the Champions League. This statement puts in perspective the abilities of Ruben Neves, who on 20th October 2015 captained Porto in the Champions League game against Maccabi Tel Aviv aged just 18 years and 221 days, in the process becoming the youngest player to start a Champions League game as the captain.

His performance in the Liga Sagres as well as the Champions League have already made him a superstar. He is unbelievably calm and composed and goes about his duties as the deep lying midfielder, breaking the opposition as well as driving his team forward, without much fuss. He has also shown an incredible passing range and rarely gets caught out of position, thus leaving the opposition thwarted.

While he has featured as a defensive midfielder so far, he definitely adds a lot to his side’s attack going forward. With the skill set he has showcased, we believe he will emerge as one of the best box to box midfielders in the world.

#2 Dele Alli

Age- 19 Years

Club- Tottenham Hotspurs

The former MK Dons midfielder has taken to the Premier League like fish to water. Alli has already established himself as the heart of the Tottenham midfield alongside Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli and Erik Dier and is performing admirably for a 19-year-old plying his trade in a top league in his first season.

He has shown the necessary combativeness in the middle of the park and his work rate puts some of the best in the league to shame. His ability on and off the ball as well as his composure at the heart of the midfield have ensured that Alli has gained a reputation as the engine of this Spurs side.

Alli has now featured on 4 occasions for the Three Lions and marked his first senior start with a goal against France at Wembley. With Euro’ 16 not too far away, should Alli continue with his fine form, he could feature as the anchor of the England national team.

#3 Youri Tielemans

Age- 18 Years

Club- Anderlecht

The Belgian league is building a reputation for itself as the one that churns out quality footballers year after year. The league has produced Premier League stars such as Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke, Adnan Januzaj and Vincent Kompany to name a few and the trend continues.

Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht is another exciting prospect that has emerged out of Belgium. The 18-year-old became the youngest Belgian to appear in the UEFA Champions League, making his debut against Olympiakos aged just 16 years and 148 days.

Initially played as a deep lying midfielder, Tielemans was pushed into a more attacking role by his manager Besnik Hasi and the move has reaped rich rewards. The attacking midfielder has a fine set of feet, pace to burn, skill and a lethal shot.

He is often seen getting past the defenders with ease and is a menace for the opposition to handle. he has been extensively linked with a move to England with Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham amongst the interested parties. However, making the move would severely curtail his playing time and we believe that another season or two at Anderlecht would be the best option for the youngster.

#4 Julian Weigl

Age- 20 Years

Club- Borussia Dortmund

The Bad Aibling born former 1860 Munich midfielder has become a key member of Thomas Tuchel’s squad. He has an incredible passing range, immaculate positioning sense and has showcased a very good understanding of the game. While it can be said that Weigl was lucky to feature for this side only due to injuries to key squad members, he has definitely grabbed the chance with both hands.

Such has been his performances that Tuchel prefers Weigl ahead of Bender and Castro who are back from their respective injuries. He has also showcased unbelievable maturity for his age and an ability to deal with pressure.

The presence of numerous world beaters has ensured that Weigl has not been presented with his first senior German cap. However, with the kind of performances he is dishing out week after week, we believe it’s only a matter of time.

#5 Alen Halilovic

Age- 19 Years

Club- Sporting Gijon (On loan from Barcelona)

The might of Barcelona's La Masia academy is well documented having produced greats like Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and Messi. Alen Halilovic is one such player to have emerged out of the Barcelona academy after joining from Dinamo Zagreb.

The youngster, who is currently on loan at Sporting Gijon seems to be benefitting immensely from the extended playing time being afforded to him. He has showcased silky movement with the ball, is creative and knows where the goal is.

He can play across the midfield and has also been used sporadically as the striker by his manager.This season, he has scored 2 goals and assisted 3 for his side (creating 14 chances in the process) and has been a constant presence in the Gijon attack. The young Croat is definitely destined for greatness at the Camp Nou and his spell at Gijon is only reiterating his credentials as one of the youngsters to watch out for.