As we patiently await the return of Premier League football this week, we remind ourselves of the ahead-of-time aptitude being shown by academy talent in the 2019/20 Premier League season to date.
Breakout Academy Talents in the Premier League
Liverpool
The debacle surrounding Liverpool’s involvement in the Club World Cup resulted in many young Reds players being handed debuts during their Carabao Cup run. Of former U23 boss Neil Critchley’s precocious cohort, only Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have featured in the Premier League thus far. Merseysider Jones looks a success story waiting to happen.
Manchester City
Amazingly, no Manchester City prospect has featured in the Premier League this season. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, though, did score in FA Cup win over Port Vale.
Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers has yet seen fit to hand any young Leicester City players Premier League minutes this term, with seasoned players preferred over a campaign that has seen them vault into third. Of the starlets that may stand a chance of a run before the end of the year, Portuguese midfielder Sidnei Tavares looks the most exciting.
Chelsea
In the wake of the controversial transfer ban handed down to Chelsea last season, Frank Lampard has been forced to utilise the army of youthful talent Chelsea have held in reserve. Three have made their Premier League debuts this season in the form of Billy Gilmour, Tariq Lamptey and Reece James.
Gilmour’s undoubted midfield capabilities began to come into focuses just before March’s interruption, whilst James has cemented himself as the West London giants’ first-choice right-back with several mature performances that belie his young age.
Manchester United
Having handed Mason Greenwood his Premier League bow towards the end of last season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has thus far handed out two league debuts this time around – to midfielder James Garner and Manchester-born left-back Brandon Williams.
Williams’ cavalier furrows into opposing territory have proven a real crowd favourite, with the 19-year-old chipping in with a goal and assist in his 12 Premier League appearances thus far.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers, too, have been frugal in the handing out of field time for their young guns in the Premier League, preferring to blood prospects in cup competitions. Of those yet to make his league bow, Benny Ashley-Seal looks to have a bright future ahead – the London-born striker filled a starting berth in the drawn FA Cup third round fixture with Manchester United.
Sheffield United
Chris Wilder has stuck very rigidly with a set group of players on Sheffield United’s return to top-flight football, only using 22 throughout the season. They are short on academy talent at Brammel Lane, at least for the time being.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have given two of their academy starlets Premier League debuts this season, both under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho – a man often maligned for his failure to promote youth from within.
Of the two, the standout talent has been defender Japhet Tanganga, who impressed hugely on his six starts. Irish striker Troy Parrott still awaits a real opportunity to show his worth, with Mourinho reluctant to use the 18-year-old Dubliner in anything other than late cameos for now.
Arsenal
Despite the emergence of fellow teenagers Bukayo Saka (debuted last season) and Gabriel Martinelli (signed last summer) it’s perhaps surprising to learn that the only Arsenal graduate to feature in the Premier League for the first time this season was Emile Smith Rowe. The midfielder, who spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, saw action in games against Manchester City and Everton in December just before a January loan move to Championship side Huddersfield Town.
Burnley
A far from coincidental policy of safety first is understandable amongst those who perennially fight against relegation. Despite Burnley’s success this season, old habits die hard and Sean Dyche has given no Premier League debuts to fledgeling professionals at Burnley this season.
Crystal Palace
Croydon is another place where confidence in academy prospects is in short supply. Indeed, only Brandon Pierrick’s seven-minute cameo on New Years Day against Norwich City counts toward this season’s graduate Premier League appearance tally for Crystal Palace.
Everton
Hometown youngster Anthony Gordon has been the sole academy player to be introduced into the Everton side this season. The 19-year-old left-winger has shown an abundance of energy in 58 minutes of Premier League action this term, spread across away games at both West Ham United and Chelsea. Could Carlo Ancelotti hand him a home debut in next week’s Merseyside derby?
Newcastle United
Remember the name; Matty Longstaff. In what must have been a proud day for the youngster and his family, he made his Premier League bow in the Magpies’ home fixture against Manchester United in October, lining up in midfield alongside brother Sean.
It was the youngster sibling who stole the show, grabbing a 72nd-minute winner and bursting into tears in the process. He subsequently has made six further appearances in the league, including when opening the scoring at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day. Unfortunately for Longstaff, United went on to win 4-1.
Southampton
Southampton have always been an outfit not afraid to blood precocious talent with the likes of Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain star attractions in the Premier League having cut their teeth at St. Mary’s.
This year, their sole academy starlet to gain first-team privileges has been Irish youth international Will Smallbone, who looked inventive in starts against Aston Villa and West Ham in February.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Having signed as an 18-year-old from League Two side Leyton Orient in 2017, Steven Alzate is not technically a product of the Brighton & Hove Albion academy. The youngster was forced, however, to bide his time for his Premier League debut. It came in the Seagulls’ scoreless draw with Newcastle on September 21st, the Londoner now having notched 19 appearances for Graham Potter’s side.
In what has been a whirlwind breakout year, the now 21-year-old also has made his full international debut for Colombia, the birthplace of his parents.
West Ham United
If you are intent on labelling yourselves as the ‘Academy of Football’, it’s probably advisable to be seen to be handing opportunities to tomorrow’s stars today. West Ham have continued that tradition this season in debuting striker Nathan Holland and right-back Jeremy Ngakia.
South London-born Ngakia will have been disappointed to see the enforced break, with three of his four Premier League starts this term coming in the final three games before lockdown.
Watford
Watford have consistently adopted a model of collating experienced players in their annual fights to stave off relegation and this year is no different with no academy graduates deemed worthy of first-team action in the Premier League.
Bournemouth
Whilst he may not classify as a true product of the south coast side, arguably the most consistent young talent to emerge as a regular first-choice in the Premier League this season has been Cherries goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Having signed from Sheffield United as a 19-year-old in 2017, Ramsdale bided his time for two full seasons before being handed the spot between the sticks on the opening day of the current campaign in a 1-1 draw against his boyhood club
Aston Villa
The sole academy debutant at Aston Villa this season has been the wonderfully named Indiana Vassilev – the American-born Bulgarian teenager has been sprung from the bench on two occasions by Dean Smith.
Plucked from the famous IMG Sports Academy in Florida, the 19-year-old promises to have a bright future ahead.
Norwich City
Whilst they might be the Premier League’s bottom side, Norwich can at least claim ownership of one of the brightest young talents to emerge from schoolboy papers and onto the grand stage this season.
Irish striker Adam Idah made his debut for the Canaries on New Years Day against Crystal Palace before leading the line against Manchester United at Old Trafford later that month. His big impact has come in the FA Cup, however, where he bagged an incredible hat-trick in the third round victory over Preston North End.
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