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General Youth Football

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
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Just been watching clips of Mason Greenwood who made his Utd debut last night at 16. The lad looks very promising and has been playing up a year or two due to his size and quality. 17 goals in 17 games last season for under 17's and looking at him he is more like a Rashford type then an out and out goalscorer.

Greenwood is very talented, and ye he is more of a Rashford type and I think fairly 2 footed. Definitely better than Rashford at the same age, shame he never went to the Euros
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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Bloody annoying that the U20 WC playoff between Norway and England isn't produced for telly. Norway just took the lead, only 15 minutes to go.

Anyone who follows closer than I do got a good reason why England have failed this tournament? Pretty awful to potentially not make the next WC as holders.
 

Hengy1

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2014
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Bloody annoying that the U20 WC playoff between Norway and England isn't produced for telly. Norway just took the lead, only 15 minutes to go.

Anyone who follows closer than I do got a good reason why England have failed this tournament? Pretty awful to potentially not make the next WC as holders.
Clubs not releasing players is a big factor
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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Clubs not releasing players is a big factor
I suppose but the Norwegians are mid-season and their most sought-after player, Erling Braut Håland (son of Alf-Inge "mauled by Roy Keane" Håland) was recalled by his club Molde after the group stage. So it isn't like they or other nations had a huge advantage over England.

3-0 now into injury time.
 

Hengy1

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Aug 7, 2014
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I suppose but the Norwegians are mid-season and their most sought-after player, Erling Braut Håland (son of Alf-Inge "mauled by Roy Keane" Håland) was recalled by his club Molde after the group stage. So it isn't like they or other nations had a huge advantage over England.

3-0 now into injury time.
True but of the top of my head we are missing Foden, Sessegnon & Sancho although it’s doubtful they’ll play that age group again.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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True but of the top of my head we are missing Foden, Sessegnon & Sancho although it’s doubtful they’ll play that age group again.
Yes absolutely, if England could've called up evey eligible player things would look a lot different, but it's still a very disappointing tournament.
 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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Obviously we would have liked all of our players avaialble but we should have still gone through. That will be the easy excuse.

All of our successful England sides have been play 4231, firstly and are well versed in that and understand it. It seems that for this tournament while cobbling together fairly new players he decided to replicate the first team or some reason, when the first team only really played that way as it was the best formation available to deal with the players we had.

He also horribly used the squad. SImpson himself even said one of the games he played was in hte hottest envrionment he had managed and yet he made subs after the 75 min mark on each occasion. He kept persisting wih Hirst and Breteon who are far too similar players uptop when he had Niall Ennis who is a quality player coming back into the fold after injuries. He did't even use Tom Bayliss who has been great for Coventry and would have proved some much needed creativity and also could have used that to find out whether it was worth using him with our most talented players next season.

The squad wasn't anywhere near as agood as it could have been but it was still have very good squad which appeared to be completely mismanaged. Even at the last u19 Euros there were a couple of games where we were devoied of ideas and we could bring on Edwards who changed the game on two occasiosn. Why not use Bayliss?

This is a gutting result, as we could easily have defended the u20 World Cup. Ignoring the goals the game against Norwich wasn't even lose we had about 3 shots, there is no way that should be happening to an England age group team. And you just know the pundits and commentators will revert to type and call the players overhyped or go back to claiming there is no more talent or claim last year was fluke. Such nonsense by Simpson, they need to replace the coaches other than Cooper, with younger fresher blood. They've got the same old coaches handling players with ability they've never had before playing a style they're not used to. When all of the teams last year had their best players in a few cases they won despite their coaches and the football they attempted to play but fortunately had ability. I'm thinking Boothroyd and the u20 world cup which masks their deficiencies but there is still an old boys club. Why don't they use the age group to give some of the young progressive coaches a chance on the ladder.
 

Blake Griffin

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Oct 3, 2011
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emile smith-rowe(turns 18 this weekend) scored a cracker for arsenal against atletico earlier. i remember seeing him as an u16 where he looked like a decent enough but fairly unremarkable winger but two years later and he's progressed into a dynamic centre mid who can carry the ball at pace and open up teams with his passing, he also has some shot on him too. i think he may have even surpassed foden now but it's difficult to tell without seeing them together. annoyingly, arsenal's academy seems to have had a real upturn over the past couple of years, before that they were in a bit of a slump but they've now got a fair few quality kids coming through.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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Former teenage sensation Martin Ødegaard joins Vitesse for the season. A more or less direct replacement for Mason Mount?
 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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I know that Angel Gomes has a lot of fans on this forum and it was good to see him get some game time yesterday.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p7ipRB8m30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmieOdUn46o&t=51s


I do really like Gomes. I know there is a tendency to overanalyse such short appearances but the take and attempted turn at 1:09 shows his ability and it's a nice sign he feels confident enough to do some flicks.

Similar to what I've always said about Onomah and Edwards I don't think Gomes is the type of player who can go on loan, especially to the EFL. I can't imagine him coping very well. He needs to be introduced and play with proper footballers with proper style as he isn't strong or bullish enough to go around and making things happen himself. Hudson-Odoi on the other hand could go on loan but hopefully Chelsea will use him or he goes abroad

I think I mentioned in the main youth thread with Solskjaer coming in I'd imagine Gomes might get looked at. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, especially to get the fans up, by including him in their squads. Also will be intersting to see if he is introduced, how they introduce him. I think he is best in the 3 behind the striker arguably no.10. But since he turned 16 he has moved into deeper positions dictating play, but United seem to be starting him out on the wing. I don't imagine they would try him out in CM as he is so small. Really hope he gets a few chances for end of the season. The 00 age group could finish the season with the following team having decent amount of first team action for top 5 league clubs

RB----CB--Panzo--Sessegnon
------Skipp-MGW-----------
Foden---Gomes---Sancho
-------------CHO

Now that is a team that could have gone to the Euros/World Cup at u17 age group and no one would complain. That would be a great achievement. Annoyingly the best RBs of that age group are still struggling but Aarons is getting chances and Bogle. Just need another CB.
 
Last edited:

edson

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May 17, 2005
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I do really like Gomes. I know there is a tendency to overanalyse such short appearances but the take and attempted turn at 1:09 shows his ability and it's a nice sign he feels confident enough to do some flicks.

Similar to what I've always said about Onomah and Edwards I don't think Gomes is the type of player who can go on loan, especially to the EFL. I can't imagine him coping very well. He needs to be introduced and play with proper footballers with proper style as he isn't strong or bullish enough to go around and making things happen himself. Hudson-Odoi on the other hand could go on loan but hopefully Chelsea will use him or he goes abroad

I think I mentioned in the main youth thread with Solskjaer coming in I'd imagine Gomes might get looked at. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, especially to get the fans up, by including him in their squads. Also will be intersting to see if he is introduced, how they introduce him. I think he is best in the 3 behind the striker arguably no.10. But since he turned 16 he has moved into deeper positions dictating play, but United seem to be starting him out on the wing. I don't imagine they would try him out in CM as he is so small. Really hope he gets a few chances for end of the season. The 00 age group could finish the season with the following team having decent amount of first team action for top 5 league clubs

RB----CB--Panzo--Sessegnon
------Skipp-MGW-----------
Foden---Gomes---Sancho
-------------CHO

Now that is a team that could have gone to the Euros/World Cup at u17 age group and no one would complain. That would be a great achievement. Annoyingly the best RBs of that age group are still struggling but Aarons is getting chances and Bogle. Just need another CB.
England could have a amazing team in the next five years or so and I think most would agree at this point in time it is good to see young players doing well for their clubs right now,we just need to see more of it in the future because this Christmas period has shown that youth player can cope with it if they are given chances.
 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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I know that Angel Gomes has a lot of fans on this forum and it was good to see him get some game time yesterday.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p7ipRB8m30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmieOdUn46o&t=51s


Think this is a really good comp on him. I think his passing from deep has really come on, as he has moved position but being so small he will struggle to adapt. Also due to his small physique he will struggle to catch eyes as he won't out pace out muscle or really dominate adults. He will have to rely on his ability alone but fortunately he has it in abundance. One I think won't really come to prominence for a couple of more years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzMtAsdpaYQ
 

edson

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May 17, 2005
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Think this is a really good comp on him. I think his passing from deep has really come on, as he has moved position but being so small he will struggle to adapt. Also due to his small physique he will struggle to catch eyes as he won't out pace out muscle or really dominate adults. He will have to rely on his ability alone but fortunately he has it in abundance. One I think won't really come to prominence for a couple of more years


You never know we could yet see him in the same England line up with our very own Skipp one day in the future,wishful thinking I know but possible.

Just like Edwards I like to see Gomes more central because it allows them both to go either way when in possession of the ball and both are not what you would call strong runners when it comes to playing out wide.

 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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Really mixed about what I want for WBA. Really want them to go up, I like Darren Moore and that he is giving his academy players a chance in Harper, Field and sometimes Leko. They also have Edwards on the bench, and a lot of other (young) English players like Gayle, Barry, Gibbs, Rodriguez and Holgate. It's what happens when you give your former academy coach and chance to manage. What is also great and I've said it a few times is that WBA probably have the best academy outside of the Top 6, and have done for a while, to the extent that they were able to let go of Tyler Roberts.

The only reason I wouldn't want them to go up, is because once teams go to the PL a lot forget the players they relied on to get up there and as usual start buying average from abroad. Maybe one more year in the Championship while they all establish themselves then come up the following year, would be a good team with lots of young English players to who could support the national team.
 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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Another great article. Reflecting what is going on in this country. Scroll down to skip my comments and go straight to the article.

As usual I have been saying a lot of this, over the last few years but it has started to gain more traction as journalists have started to take more of a note, scouts and others involved in football in England and abroad have spoken up and Southgate has shone a light and the situation. And that is
a)not being chosen by your PL manager does not equate to not being good enough for top level football.
b)all or 90% of players representing England should be playing top level football but back to point a) aren't being selected by their managers, in part due to the fact not all can be brought through at once.
c)in the case of Poveda and other City forwards I have mentioned in the past, the idea that just because you don't make it it means you are not good enough. To elaborate on this. This also references the number of times in the past, someone would say we should sign what they believe is a decent talent. My logic was always that it would block the path of our own, and we should just focus on developing what we have, and put that money where it is required. The response was that competition improves players and whoever comes out the winner means that was best for the club. The dumb thing about that was that these players are already competing with top players and are as good as they are having come out on top of all their peers. There would also be no guarantee that the winner, would get a chance, meaning England have missed out on even more talent, and it assumes that those who don't quite prevail at that time are no good. City is the perfect example. Diaz -signed by Madrid, Sancho - succeeding at Dortmund, Matondo - signed by Schalke, Foden - trying to come through at City, now Poveda and Richards. According to that logic if they all stayed at City. Only one would have come out on top and had the minutes Foden would have had. Poveda is another exceptional talent and as the article states was the best player on the pitch and could play anywhere in Europe realistically but is likely to be another talent that has gone down the drain.
On a personal level as a club I'm disappointed that between u16-17 level of the 00 age group I think we had the joint most call-ups. TOB, Kirby, Skipp, Eyoma, BLF, Griffiths and Hinds (missed out due to injury) with only one of those getting anywhere near the first team and two leaving. I don't expect them to be playing first team football but I won't be surprised to see none of them in our first team in the next few years and the other sad bit is we only have one representing England in that age group at the moment as they've been overtaken by others.

What is also somewhat sad is that a lot of these clubs from abroad want to sign our players but feel they can't as they are too expensive. It says that there is a possibility they will have to wait 2 or 3 years when a lot inevitably don't make it to the top so can be looked at again. I have often mentioned how I think the 97 was the first to be really wasted and some have regressed but I hope this is what the foreign clubs do. Girona have picked up Roberts, Crowley has gone to Willem II, and there were reports of Onomah being looked at. The clever money is in these clubs from abroad now try to sign the talented but poorly handled 97 generation. If they can restore them to their former glory England will be in a very strong place. The fact that KWP easily England's best RB in that age group has been overtaken by AWB, Aarons, Bogle and TAA, ironically the 2 PL ones also only got chances due to injury issues, is an indication of how badly his development has been handled. I've mentioned a lot of times that if England got it's act together we could win a World Cup, and while I'm so pleased to see how strong the potential squads we could have is, I still find it criminal how much talent is being lost, and it is pleasing to hear that foreign clubs are also trying to look at those talents that have been mishandled so hopefully they won't go completely to waste.

I also hope the people who claims, you can't watch someone playing against kid and know whether they will be able to do it against adults, will stop with that outdated sentiment. Just because they've done it in a youth tournament it doesn't mean they can do it at a high level. It's literally what Bundesliga scouts, Southgate, Vieira all argue. The fact that these talents get no chances with their first team means the only thing they have to go off are their appearances in youth football and they still sign, select or go on record to say that these guys would be playing first team football in other leagues were they not changed to their PL clubs.

Talented but too expensive – what world’s scouts think of England’s teenagers

Talent-spotters are in awe of young stars but they are too costly for many European clubs, writes Alyson Rudd

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Alyson Rudd
March 27 2019, 5:00pm, The Times

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Poveda, Gibbs-White and Gallagher all impressed the watching scouts while playing for England Under-19
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As Morgan Gibbs-White, the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, calmly delivered a no-look reverse-pass down the line, a clutch of scouts issued a collective sigh of resignation. This was all too classy, too expensive. It was like sitting next to a group of men who thought that they would visit the jumble sale, only to find themselves facing a designer catwalk.

When England Under-19 faced the Czech Republic last Wednesday at St George’s Park, Pitch 4 was a sun-trap and the European scouts shed their coats and then their jumpers as they scribbled on notepads, their cheeks reddening from the unseasonable heat and the knowledge that the clubs they represent would be unable to afford any of the teenage talent on show.

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Derksen described Poveda, pictured with the ball as scouts watch on, as the best player on the pitch against the Czech RepublicTIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
A scout from Lille had a copious bundle of notes but jabbed at his teamsheet. “I like No 7, No 5 and No 4,” he said. In other words, he liked Ian Poveda, the Manchester City striker, Marc Guehi, the Chelsea defender, and Conor Gallagher, a midfielder on the verge of breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge.

“I write something,” he said, indicating his lengthy notes. “I’m not the decision-maker. If I had the money I would take No 7, No 5 and No 4. Very good players.

“England players are very good, better than the Czechs. It’s difficult to take English players to France. They won’t come because of the money. It’s too expensive for us.”

It was a familiar refrain among those present with one exception. The scout from Bayern Munich has the backing of big money. The German club have already bid £35 million for Callum Hudson-Odoi, the Chelsea winger who made a stunning full debut for Gareth Southgate’s team on Monday evening. The west London club held on to the 18-year-old after turning down his January transfer request and are desperate to keep him this summer.

Back in September, Hudson-Odoi was busy scoring for England Under-19 against Belgium. For the team’s European Under-19 Championship elite-round match last week against the Czechs, Hudson-Odoi was present — but as a spectator, sitting with Ross Barkley, his Chelsea team-mate, and Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur. The Bayern scout was not there to make notes on how vocal a supporter the winger they would like to sign can be but rather to work out if he is an outlier or if England is brimming with similar talent.

The answer would appear to be that England is awash with coveted players. Scouts are a secretive bunch but it was hard for Ludek Miklosko, the former West Ham United goalkeeper, now a scout for various Czech clubs, to remain anonymous and he explained why there was such fascination with Hudson-Odoi and his former team-mates.

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Southgate was there to watch the game — along with Hudson-Odoi, Barkley and AlliTIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
“The scouts are trying to find players for first teams and these are the best talents in Europe and I think everyone tries to get them,” he said. “The English FA has fantastic structure in its coaching now. They are teaching the players to play football, it is no longer the long ball. It has changed the game completely. All the England under-19s impressed me. They are all comfortable on the ball. Today they have been a much, much better team than the Czechs. They would all fit into other leagues in Europe.”

About ten minutes before the final whistle Miklosko and several other scouts left to travel to Loughborough to catch their next match; Greece Under-19 v Denmark Under-19. It can be a relentless slog for those charged with assessing young talent.

It is rarely a romantic role. Gone are the days when a scout could turn up to a youth game and spot an exciting winger or a composed defender that no one else had noticed. The scouts at St George’s Park had already seen all the players on display via video analysis or at previous club matches. They had already read up on them through the data on SoccerLAB, which collates information on all players, building a detailed analysis.

It was Dirk Jan Derksen’s first visit to England and he was blown away by the superiority of England’s youth. So impressive were they that the Czech player whom he had come to watch was almost paralysed by the experience. Derksen, a Dutch former striker and coach, travels about 3,000 miles a month on behalf of Groningen, an Eredivisie club who are paternalistic, invest in youth and know that they have to be crafty in the market given that they cannot compete financially with the bigger clubs.

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Steven Sessegnon, the Fulham left back and brother of Ryan, shows off the athleticism that is a hallmark of England Under-19TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
“For Groningen, we are eighth in the league and our ambition is regular Europa League football,” Derksen says. “You need money for that of course and we have to be clever in how we scout and draw good players to the club.

“We look at youth teams through the year from several countries. I was at St George’s Park to watch David Snajdr [a Czech Republic defender], who I had seen in Prague in the under-19 league. I needed to know if he was as good at a higher level, but he was up against Ian Poveda and he had no chance.

“It does not mean he is a bad player. Poveda was so good, the best player on the pitch, so Snajdr did not play his normal game. He was so quick, Poveda, that Snajdr could not control his own game. I will see him again. And it is important to compare him with the left winger we already have.

“The England Under-19 team are so mature, they are men already, physically very good, dynamic, technically good and they earn a lot already. Their athletic skills and power are impressive. But maybe in two or three years’ time not all of those English players will make it to the top and we can look at them again.”

Like many of the other scouts, Derksen had to dash to Loughborough but it was almost a wasted journey for all of them.

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Danny Loader, the Reading forward, right, celebrates with Tariq Lamptey, the Chelsea defender, after scoringTIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
“England were at such a high level against the Czechs that the Greece versus Denmark game I watched immediately afterwards was poor by comparison,” Derksen says. “It was slow-motion football. There was no bad player for England.”

There was also little point in those scouting for Czech clubs to bother mentioning the English talent. “If you’re playing for England Under-19, then it’s probably too much of a step down to go to a club in Czech Republic,” one of them said.

The scouts present for English teams were nervous about revealing the nationality of their club let alone naming them. There was a chap representing Brighton & Hove Albion who would not name the players he was monitoring but that his eyes were twinkling indicated that he was tracking at least one English teenager.

Southgate watched the under-19s’ 4-1 victory over the Czechs and could afford to feel smug. He has been able to see Hudson-Odoi elevated at pace through the England youth teams in part because they all perform to a similar style and at last place the emphasis on technical ability.

Young players at Premier League clubs traditionally go on loan or sign for lower-division sides to gain first-team football, but one scout said that this was no longer good enough and explained why technically adept youngsters such as Jadon Sancho, who left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, need to consider moves abroad.

“Recently there have been success stories abroad for teenagers,” he says, “and Premier League teams are questioning whether they should put in their first-team players who have only played youth football. The lower levels in England, League One and League Two, are almost a different sport, where it is very physical, but the Premier League is a very technical game.”

Young stars on show against the Czechs
Goalkeeper
Josef Bursik, age 18

Telford United, on loan from Stoke City
England appearances (U17, U18, U19): 21
Senior club appearances: 0

Defence
Max Aarons, 19

Norwich City
Right back
England appearances (U19): 7
Club appearances: 35

Jonathan Panzo, 18
Monaco
Centre back
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 41
Club appearances: 1
Born in Brockley, joined Chelsea at the age of nine before moving to Monaco last summer. Part of U17 team that won World Cup in 2017. Also eligible for Ivory Coast

Marc Guehi, 18
Chelsea
Centre back
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 38
Club appearances: 0
Also eligible for Ivory Coast

Steven Sessegnon, 18
Fulham
Left back
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 22
Club appearances: 6

Midfield
Conor Gallagher, 19

Chelsea
Central midfielder
England appearances (U17, U18, U19): 19
Club appearances: 0

Morgan Gibbs-White, 19
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Midfielder
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 28
Club appearances: 53
Been at Wolves since he was eight and made first-team debut at 16. Scored in U17 World Cup final win against Spain in 2017. Has starred against Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League this season.

Attacking midfield
Ian Poveda, 19

Manchester City
Right winger
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 26
Club appearances: 1
Joined City from Brentford for undisclosed fee in July 2016, having had spells at academies of Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona by the time he was 15. Also eligible for Colombia

Angel Gomes, 18
Manchester United
Attacking midfielder
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 27
Club appearances 3
Godson of former United winger Nani, the youngest player to score a hat-trick for United’s academy (having started the game as a sub). Made Premier League debut aged 16 years and 263 days in May 2017. Also eligible for Angola

Bukayo Saka, 17
Arsenal
Left winger
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 22
Club appearances: 4
Also eligible for Nigeria

Forward
Danny Loader, 18

Reading
Forward
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 42
Club appearances: 18

Substitutes used
Tariq Lamptey, 18

Chelsea
Right back
England appearances (U18, U19): 12
Club appearances: 0

Rekeem Harper, 19
West Bromwich Albion
Central midfielder
England appearances (U17, U19): 7
Club appearances 4
Also eligible for Ghana

George McEachran, 18
Chelsea
Attacking midfielder
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 38
Club appearances: 0

Felix Nmecha, 18
Man City
Attacking midfielder
England appearances (U16, U18, U19): 9
Club appearances: 1
Also eligible for Nigeria and Germany

Arvin Appiah, 18
Nottingham Forest
Right winger
England appearances (U16, U17, U18, U19): 22
Club appearances: 2
Also eligible for Ghana
 

spursfan77

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Aug 13, 2005
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When I did my FA coaching level 1 badge 7/8 years ago I remember the guy taking the course saying that our kids are as good all the other countries. I remember a few people on the course scoffing but for me it made perfect sense. Why would we not have the talent compared to other countries. It was always the coaching and identifying the boys that was the problem.

I’m glad that the FA has got its act together since then as that seems to be when the new processes began to be operated by them.

Still a long way to go but the conveyor belt seems to be beginning. Let’s hope the FA don’t rest on their laurels.
 

IGSpur

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Jan 11, 2013
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When I did my FA coaching level 1 badge 7/8 years ago I remember the guy taking the course saying that our kids are as good all the other countries. I remember a few people on the course scoffing but for me it made perfect sense. Why would we not have the talent compared to other countries. It was always the coaching and identifying the boys that was the problem.

I’m glad that the FA has got its act together since then as that seems to be when the new processes began to be operated by them.

Still a long way to go but the conveyor belt seems to be beginning. Let’s hope the FA don’t rest on their laurels.

I think the FA has met their objectives and then some. I have been saying that we have been producing better players than other countries for a while. Remember the 97 age group not only won their Euro u17 but then also won their World Cup at u20 level. The previous age groups had good players and signs of quality up until the 92s I'd say. So Zaha, Carroll, Ings, Lingard and Ince. There were some decent players there.

Then the 93 age group who won the Euros u17s, had Morrison, Berahino, Kane, Pritchard, Keanes, Afobe, Wickham, Garbutt. Butland and Maguire. But they were missing the depth. The 96s also had a lot of talent but the 97s I think was the first age group where they all produced quality and quantity and since then I think England have been producing the best players in the world, as a whole. It is why I keep mentioning we should be winning World Cups. The FA in terms of the DNA are doing their job, and the clubs are doing their part prpducing the players, but it is the managers of the clubs letting everyone down, or maybe the fans or chairmen not providing an environment where the managers can take even the minimal of risks
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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Won't bother starting a thread for the U20 World Cup, but Norway, England's vanquishers lest we forget, just beat Honduras 12-0 with Erling Håland scoring NINE. It's a new record for most goals scored by a single player in a match, and also the biggest win by any team in the history of the tournament. A truly ridiculous game where you have to suspect foul play of some sort, Honduras were that bad.

This comes after Norway lost both their two first games to Uruguay and New Zealand so they're in danger of going out in the group stage as one of the worst third placed sides anyway.

I've mentioned Håland on this site before, son of old Leeds and City-player Alfie Håland of "that Roy Keane tackle" fame. He turns 19 this summer, joined Salzburg from Molde in January but is a serious one to watch for the future. A potential über striker in the making.
 
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