RANKING THE BEST ENGLISH YOUNGSTERS- PART ONE
RANKING THE BEST ENGLISH YOUNGSTERS-PART ONE (20 to 11)
-Samarth Purohit
-Editor: Mitansh Kagalwala
The rise of English youngsters, like Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho among others, has led to a so-called second "golden generation" that is perhaps only rivalled by the Spanish youngsters playing in Barcelona. This England team reached the final of Euro 2020 and are touted as favourites for Qatar 2022. In this article we look at the top 20 English talents 24 years old or younger. It is a testament to the quality of English youngsters that we had to separate this article into two different posts. The bar for English talent is so high that we had to exclude some excellent players, such as Conor Gallagher, Rhian Brewster and Joe Willock, from the top 20 entirely.
So, here are, in our opinion, the top 20 English youngsters, 24 years or younger:
20. Aaron Wan Bissaka:
A traditional fullback with good 1 on 1 defensive abilities,
but lacking offensively and with issues in positioning, AWB is unlikely to ever
start for England considering the depth available in the right-back position,
and, after recent performances, may even lose his spot at Manchester United to
Dalot.
19. Ben White:
A decent defender, with a quietly underrated performance this year for Arsenal. A ball-playing defender, he is something different to what England already have available in Harry Maguire. However, his lack of physical ability and aerial presence could prove to be his downfall, as shown when he was bullied throughout Arsenal’s loss to Brentford by Ivan Toney.
18. Cole Palmer:
Cole Palmer seems to have incredible potential. However, he
seems unlikely to break into the Manchester City's first team as a regular
starter, and has yet to fully make a mark on the league due to his few
appearances. However, it seems Pep is using the youngster sparingly, similar to
how Phil Foden was used in the early years, and should start receiving more
game time from next season. Fingers crossed for this young player’s future
however, as everything indicates to him being a star in the making.
17. Callum Hudson Odoi:
A very versatile
player, capable of operating on the right side of attack or at right wingback. However,
it is difficult to believe he will ever start over the likes of Sancho,
Rashford, Mount, Elliot or the other talented young wingers England has in its
bag, or even at right wingback considering the depth England has in that
position. Odoi has done what is expected of him, but has failed to truly
impress compared to his countrymen.
16. Harvey Elliot:
Elliot is a promising midfielder for Liverpool, and would
probably be making more of an impression if he hadn't had a crucial injury a
few months ago. While seemingly a young, attack minded player with gumption and
an elite mentality, nothing can be said as of now due to his lack of
experience. However, he showed enough in the few games he played before his
injury that he could be a very useful weapon in England’s arsenal with his flair
and ability.
15. Curtis Jones:
Another young promising Liverpool midfielder, Jones is known
to pick fights here and there in a game, and is impressive but again, he has
little real experience and it is difficult to gauge his skill. However, he was
brilliant in the two Champions League games he did play, registering two
assists in a single game against Porto. He could be a staple in the English
midfield in the years to come.
A physical and dependable centre-back who can chip in with
goals, Trevoh Chalobah has a big future ahead of him. Tuchel already seems to
favour him, having given him some game time this season. However, it remains to
be seen how well he can do in the different defensive system of the England
side.
13. Dean Henderson:
Manchester United's second keeper is a brilliant sweeper and
is, without a doubt, the keeper new managers will look to when they join
United, to start play from the back, which for all of DDGs strengths, is
something he isn't very good at. Henderson had an average last season at the
club, but shows promise and could very well become one of his generations best,
shown during his time on loan. Hopefully, he receives regular game time at
Manchester United, and he will be one of the very best in a few years time.
12. Emile Smith Rowe:
ESR is a versatile attacking player, and plays as either a
CAM or winger for Arsenal. Already making waves at the large stage, ESR is
making an identity for himself as a strong dependable offensive player, though
it is yet to be seen whether he can displace the likes of Foden or Sancho.
However, his recent form for Arsenal- 7 goals already- proves he can be a game
changer in the future.
11. Aaron Ramsdale:
A fantastic goalkeeper from what has been seen of him in
Arsenal, Ramsdale is an excellent shot-stopper, commands his box well, and
integrates in build-up, though his positioning tends to be a bit poor compared
to other elite goalkeepers, with him having to rely on his reflexes and height
to save quite a few attempts. However, his positioning will improve with time,
and odds are on him to succeed Jordan Pickford in goal.
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