Top 5 Over Achieved Youngsters In Premier League – List Features Manchester United And Arsenal Stars

Youth has always been an integral part of the premier league. Most of the teams give an ample amount of importance to their youth academy so that it can produce talents which can knock the doors of the first team. We have seen the likes of Class of 92’ doing it for Manchester United, John Terry do it for Chelsea, Micheal Owen do it for Liverpool, Ashley Cole do it with Arsenal and many more. Coming to the current season, we can find a huge number of young players that are plying their trade in the premier league. Few of them have stepped up big and drawn either a huge price tag on them, or comparisons with likes of some legends. Here are my top five picks for youngsters who have over achieved in premier league.

Hector Bellerin

A product of the Arsenal youth academy (Well, a mixed of Arsenal and Barcelona), Bellerin made it to the first team in 2013. The Spaniard made his competitive debut away to West Bromwich Albion in the third round of the League Cup on 25 September 2013, coming on in the 95th minute as a substitute for Mikel Arteta in a penalty shootout victory after a 1–1 draw. Bellerín made his Champions League debut on 16 September 2014 in a 2–0 away defeat to against Borussia Dortmund. However, it is in the current season that he has really shown some mature performances.

One of his standout performances would be the 3-0 home win against Manchester United. While most articles focused majorly on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and how United’s defence was left wide open for a period of 15 minutes, Bellerin somehow escaped the limelight. If you analyse that match closely you’ll find that it was his runs down on the right that caused the first major problem for United, and while putting two defenders to mark him United left gaps in the centre and there in stepped the likes of Ozil and Sanchez.

Antony Martial

At the start of the current season Manchester United sold Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez, which left United short of attacking options up at the front. With failed bids for Harry Kane, United were left with very less choice and then out of nowhere they suddenly signed a teenage Frenchman named Antony Martial for an initial fee of £36 million which could potentially rise to £57.6 million. This ran shock waves among world football. But what a signing it has been. From scoring against Liverpool in his Premier League debut to getting goals for the team in Champions league matches, he has done it all.

At the age of 19, he has shown levels of patience, composure, skills, maturity and adaptability to the premier league that has really amazed the masses. This has led him to be compared to the talismanic French striker Their Henry and Henry has also stated Martial as the one to look out for. Manchester United and French legend Eric Cantona has already said that Martial is the brightest prospect in French Football right now. Due to Mr Louis Van Gaal’s philosophy and United’s huge number of injuries, Martial has played mostly as a left and right attacking midfielder. But wherever he plays, he makes the manager and the fans happy with his performances.

Dele Alli

After signing on from MK Dons, this talented youngster has only moved from good to better. His performances has raved in good comments both from Pochettino and Hodgson. On 8 August 2015, Alli made his Tottenham debut against Manchester United in the Premier League as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat away at Old Trafford, playing the last 13 minutes in place of Eric Dier. And 2 weeks later he scored his first goal in a 1-1 draw against Leicester city.

He has had an impressive start to his Premier League career and scored five goals and made three assists in his first 18 league matches. As a result of which he was rewarded a new long term contract which keeps him at the White Hart Lane till 2021. At a tender age of 19, he has become one of the key man in central midfield for both club and country, and many pundits have termed this youngster as one of the guys to look out for in the upcoming 2016 Euros.

John Stones

It’s not every day that you’re 21 and Jose Mourinho wanted to pay 50 million euros for you. And that is not all. He wanted to pay so much for you to replace John Terry, arguably one of the best centre backs if not the best that England has produced in the last 2 decades. Well Mourinho is gone, but Chelsea’s interest in him still seems prominent. He made his league debut as a late substitute for Steven Naismith in a 1–0 home win over Chelsea on 14 September 2013. He started his first Premier League game for Everton in a 1–1 draw against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on 1 January 2014.

He is a defender who attracts players and then completely marks them off the ball. He almost wins all the one on ones he gets into and hardly ever misplaces the ball. At such a young age, he has shown qualities that are expected from a club captain. Accordingly Roberto Martinez had to say the following, “It is not just the way he is developing as a defender but the way he is developing as a leader”. And by the looks of the way he is playing, he is only supposed to get better with age. Probably a future captain.

Raheem Sterling

This may come as a surprise for many. There are claims that he has been pretty average since his move to City. But such is not true. Since he has moved to City, he has scored his first hat trick for them, scored goals in the Champions league, premier league and league club. Plus, he has formed a budding partnership with Kevin de Bruyne which makes both of them an always starter in a Pellegrini side.

Also with Pep Guardiola taking over the reins next season, it can be assumed that Sterling’s qualities and capabilities will get a fillip. Having paid 49 million for his services, City are yet to receive an overwhelming return on investment. But the skills, qualities, pace and run ups this guy has shown in the past 2 seasons is actually worth treasuring for any football fan. Even Roy Hodgson is a great admirer of this young man.