Question- Which club in Premier League has the most promising Under-20 players?
Answer- Mostly will mention Arsenal...Yes, correct..but that's only 50 % correct.
Manchester United FC in fact has the same amount of promising Under-20 players as Arsenal does. Total 4.
Here's a host of players under the age of 20 on the verge of taking the Premier League by storm soon. A matter of time perhaps. I'm a Man Utd fan, so I'll start first with the most promising Under-20 players wearing Man Utd jersey.
1) Fabio da Silva ,19
The left-sided half of the Brazilian twins signed from Fluminense in 2007, Fabio hasn't had quite the impact of his brother (largely due to a succession of niggling injuries), but is highly-rated at Old Trafford nonetheless and capable of playing in either full-back position or on the wing.
2) Rafael da Silva, 19
His copybook might have been blotted by that game-changing red card during United's recent Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, but PFA Young Player of the Year nominee Rafael is still considered a strong contender to permanently succeed Gary Neville in the right full-back berth at Old Trafford. In fact, Patrice Evra has gone on record to say that the Brazilian youngster could become one of the club's all-time greats.
3) Federico Macheda, 18
The striker known as 'Kiko' enjoyed a Premier League debut to rival Danny Rose's, coming on as a substitute in United's must-win game against Aston Villa and scoring a glorious injury time winner that proved pivotal in the Reds' successful 2008-09 title campaign. Understandably, he's since struggled to dislodge the combined mights of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen from the team's starting line-up, but Macheda remains very much one for the future at Old Trafford.
4) Danny Welbeck, 19
After starring for United's youth, reserve and Carling Cup teams, Welbeck became another dazzling debutant when he scored a stunning 30-yard curler against Stoke during his first league appearance. He's currently out on loan helping out manager Sir Alex Ferguson's son Darren at Preston, where he's scored twice in six appearances.
Which promising youngster owned by Arsenal?
5) Jack Wilshere, 18
England's great white hope, Wilshere holds the record for being Arsenal's youngest ever debutant - no mean feat given that club's recent policy of blooding youngsters. He scored his first goal ten days later - still some 90-odd days shy of his 17th birthday - as Wenger's young Guns thrashed Sheffield United 6-0 in the League Cup. Now gaining first-team experience at Bolton, Wilshere recently scored his first Premier League goal in the Trotters' 2-1 victory over West Ham.
6) Wojciech Szczesny, 19
I guess not many heard of this name before. He's something of a goalkeeping prodigy, Szczesny started training with the Legia Warszawa first team as a 15-year-old. He's only played in the League Cup since joining Arsenal in 2006 - and is currently on loan at Brentford - but Arsene Wenger has the highest of hopes for the youngster and has gone on record as saying that the Pole "will one day be Arsenal's No.1".
7) Aaron Ramsey, 19
Even if Ramsey only returned as half the player he was before the injury he sustained from Ryan Shawcross' sickening tackle , then he'd still be some prospect. The Welshman was nicknamed 'Rambo' by adoring Cardiff City fans, and his performances both for the Bluebirds and the Gunners following his £4.8million move in June 2008 have certainly been all-action. The central midfielder also already has 11 senior caps to his name - no mean feat for a player who won't be 20 until Boxing Day.
8) Craig Eastmond, 19
One of Arsene Wenger's seemingly endless line of young stars, Eastmond was plucked from Millwall as an 11 year-old. Naturally the midfielder made his first team bow in the League Cup - setting up the opening goal in the 2-1 victory over Liverpool last October - but has since muscled his way into the league set-up, coming on as a sub against Portsmouth in December 2009, and then starting Arsenal's 2-0 win at Bolton the following month.
Second highest in the list belongs to Tottenham, with a total of 3 hot prospect owned.
9) John Bostock, 18
After joining Spurs from Crystal Palace in highly controversial circumstances - a tribunal eventually set the transfer fee at £700,000 plus achievement bonuses, much to Eagles chairman Simon Jordan's disgust - Bostock made his first team debut against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Cup aged 16 years and 295 days, a club record. He joined Brentford on loan in November 2009 and made an immediate impact - scoring twice on his debut.
10) Danny Rose, 19
Danny Rose enjoyed the most spectacular of league debut, hitting a long-range screamer to set his side on the way to a 2-1 victory over Arsenal. Signed in acrimonious circumstances from Leeds for £1million in July 2007, Rose enjoyed successful loan spells at Watford and Peterborough before eventually making his Tottenham debut in last month's FA Cup against, ironically, his former club. His explosive pace and attacking nous had already earned him six England Under-21 caps before that league debut. And, as Arsenal fans can attest, he's no slouch in front of goal either.
11) Kyle Walker, 19
Tottenham signed Walker from Sheffield United - along with fellow young right-back Kyle Naughton - seemingly on the back of his performances for the Blades in the 2009 Championship play-offs (the defender had played only three other games for the club before that). They then promptly loaned him back for the 2009-10 season, only to recall him again following the sale of Alan Hutton to Sunderland in the January transfer window, since when he's made two first team appearances for Spurs.
Here comes Liverpool..
12) Martin Kelly , 19
A homegrown jewel in Rafa Benitez's largely continental crown, Kelly is seen as a long-term replacement for Jamie Carragher in Liverpool's rearguard - incidentally the player he replaced as a substitute when making his first team debut against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on December 9, 2008.
13) Daniel Pacheco, 19
Nicknamed 'The Killer' by his team-mates at Barcelona's youth academy on account of his ability to seemingly score from anywhere on the pitch, Pacheco joined compatriot Rafa Benitez at Liverpool in 2007, where it's hoped he'll become the next Fernando Torres. With just four substitute appearances to his name, it's early days yet, but Pacheco did make a decisive impact in the Reds' Europa League tie against Unirea Urziceni, setting up David N'Gog for the winning goal.
And the list goes this way
14) Nathan Delfouneso, 19 (Aston Villa)
A product of Villa's youth academy, England Under-21 striker Delfouneso became the youngest player ever to represent the Villans in Europe when he took to the field against FH Hafnarfjörður in the UEFA Cup aged just 17 years and 195 days. He's since played 20 times for the club and scored five goals, his first coming in an FA Cup replay against Doncaster in February 2009 that had manager Martin O'Neill drooling in the press afterwards.
15) Jordan Henderson, 19 (Sunderland)
Rated as one of the north-east's brightest prospects, midfielder Henderson has already played more than 30 times for the Black Cats' first team. Indeed, he's become something of a regular for the side this term, equally at home whether in his preferred position on the right or deputising for Lee Cattermole in the middle of the park.
16) Gael Kakuta, 18 (Chelsea)
Who wouldn't recognise this guy? French forward Kakuta became the most famous teenager in world football when FIFA slapped a transfer ban on Chelsea as punishment for illegally inducing him to breach his contract with previous club Lens (the judgement was subsequently overturned on appeal). With that furore now behind him, the player hailed in his homeland as 'the black Zidane' is set to do his talking on the pitch. His four first team appearances were pregnant with promise, and with Didier Drogba having taken him under his wing, Kakuta is poised for very big things indeed.
17) Victor Moses, 19 (Wigan)
A victim of the chronic financial difficulties afflicting Crystal Palace, Moses was sold for £2.5million during the January 2010 transfer window in an attempt to assuage the Championship club's creditors. Although perhaps he shouldn't be on this list at all, as Nigerian-born Moses has been dogged by rumours alleging he's actually older than he claims - a situation not helped any by then Palace manager Neil Warnock regularly joking that his star youngster was at least 23
18) Frank Nouble, 18 (West Ham)
A powerful striker whose hulking physique belies his years and a rising star of Chelsea's youth team, Nouble rejected their offer of a professional contract in favour of joining Gianfranco Zola's West Ham. He benefited greatly from an injury crisis at Upton Park, impressing during a stint deputising for Carlton Cole at the start of 2010 - although he's yet to score a competitive goal for the Hammers or, indeed, West Brom and Swindon, with whom he spent the latter half of this season on loan.
19) Jack Rodwell, 19 (Everton)
Rodwell's career has gone from strength to strength since he became the youngest player ever to represent Everton in Europe as a 16-year-old in December 2007. A versatile central midfielder capable of playing in all thirds of the pitch as well as the centre of defence, he's now made almost 50 appearances for the first team and attracted the attentions of no less an admirer than Sir Alex Ferguson.
20) Junior Hollett, 19 (Blackburn)
Capable of playing both on the wing and as a striker, Canadian David 'Junior' Hollett is enjoying a breakthrough season at Ewood Park and recently signed a contract extension that will keep him there until 2012. His most memorable moment to date followed his introduction as sub in Rovers' dramatic League Cup quarter-final win over Chelsea. Hollett scored the fifth and final penalty in the shoot-out that sealed his side's dramatic victory.
