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Championship's best youngsters
It’s been another dramatic and entertaining season in the Championship, with automatic promotion tickets, play-off places and survival spots going right down to the wire.
In this slideshow, we’ve turned our attention towards the division’s young guns and picked out the 10 best second-tier players aged 21 or under.
10. Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest, 19)
The Stoke-born centre-forward celebrated his 19th birthday in mid-April, days after converting a penalty against Ipswich which brought Forest’s goal drought to an end after 636 minutes.
Brereton's rise is unlikely to be sensational and it's debatable whether Aitor Karanka is the ideal boss for his development at this stage – although the Spanish gaffer was confident enough to loan several forwards out of the club in January. Brereton has the maturity and mental strength to carve out a solid career whatever obstacles lie in his path and he won't shy away from the challenge of ploughing a lone furrow for Forest.
9. Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds, 19)
The midfield destroyer hasn’t had everything his own way this term, with Vieira often struggling to impose himself in an engine room stocked with too many similar players. But the teenager’s physique alone is a reminder of his ability to break up play and drive forward from deep with the ball at his feet.
Vieira probably needs more daring players alongside him to truly flourish; after all, the qualities which helped him make such a superb impact in his breakthrough season under Garry Monk haven't vanished.
8. Jarrod Bowen (Hull, 21)
Hull aren't a club renowned for their youth development, and Bowen is arguably their biggest success story in the past couple of decades.
Signed from Hereford four years ago, Bowen only got a sniff of regular football through the chaos of a shambolic pre-season and the open-mindedness of ex-Tigers manager Leonid Slutsky. He seized that opportunity with both hands, and has now scored 14 goals from the wing.
7. Chris Mepham (Brentford, 20)
Brentford turned down two bids in the region of £8m for their ball-playing centre-back at the start of the year, despite the fact he'd played barely 800 minutes.
Mepham nearly walked away from football after being rejected by Chelsea, Watford and QPR at the age of 16. He’s now a Wales international, though, and his cool head in possession means he’s emerged as a transfer target for Bournemouth.
6. Ebere Eze (QPR, 19)
Premier League scouts have been flocking to Loftus Road for a glimpse of this dazzling playmaker, but the level-headed Eze is taking everything in his stride.
Ian Holloway has warned about giving him too much responsibility too soon, but the youngster himself is banging on his door for starts. Raw speed and trickery mark him out as a major threat, but it's the nonchalant distribution and awareness of others' movement that truly catch the eye.
5. David Brooks (Sheffield United, 20)
Big clubs love nothing more than a talent who can be moulded into anything you want him to be, and Brooks feeds the imagination better than most.
The Warrington-born midfielder makes an impression all over the pitch, but it’s his quality when venturing into the penalty box which has led to reports suggesting Tottenham see him as a potential long-term replacement for Harry Kane. For now, though, Brooks would be advised to stay put at Bramall Lane.
4. Diogo Jota (Wolves, 21)
The Portuguese winger’s performances have dipped in recent weeks, but it's a mark of his quality that Jota continues to make decisive contributions in the final third. With 17 goals and five assists to his name, Wolves have already confirmed that his loan move from Atletico Madrid will be made permanent in the summer.
Jota should have little trouble stepping up to the top flight, with increased protection from referees likely to serve him well. Expect the 21-year-old to continue making headlines next season.
3. James Maddison (Norwich, 21)
It's one thing showing regular glimpses of your potential at 21 but actually taking charge of games, week after week, and being the fulcrum of your side is something else.
Maddison might not be ready to do likewise in the Premier League just yet, but the trajectory of his career and his adaptation skills would suggest he's close to doing so. Another season or two with the Canaries would be best for his development, but it won’t be long before top-tier clubs come calling.
2. Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham, 17)
Some have been guilty of getting carried away when it comes to Sessegnon, but there’s no doubt he’s the real deal. Despite being just 17 years old, he already looks like the finished article; everything about him screams Premier League.
Comfortable at left-back or further forward on the wing, his scarcity as a commodity only adds to his value. Sessegnon is delightfully cavalier, and comparisons come from different generations; Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale are the names that spring to mind. If he can follow the Welsh duo, he’s got quite the career to look forward to.
1. Ruben Neves (Wolves, 21)
Sessegnon vs Neves is the Championship’s answer to Ronaldo vs Messi. The former pipped the latter to first place in FourFourTwo’s recent countdown of the Football League’s best performers in 2017-18, but the debate largely comes down to personal preference about the duo’s respective playing styles.
Neves gets the vote overall, though, purely on the grounds of control, culture and the extra variety he has to his game. Liverpool have been linked, and if you plonked him in that defensive midfield role at Anfield tomorrow, he improves Jurgen Klopp’s side. And that says it all.
