The Premier League is almost upon us and life has meaning again. Multiple new stars in both players and managers have arrived on British shores and we're in line for another fantastic season of domestic football. Jose Mourinho is a Manchester United manager, Pep Guardiola is a Manchester City manager, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is finally a Premier League player and a bunch of other global stars have all adopted the English game for the foreseeable future.
While we're thrilled to see big names enter the league signing multimillion-pound deals in the process, the game is still all about the little guy aiming for the stars. Irrespective of the club you supported, you were thrilled to see Marcus Rashford shine for Manchester United, the same could be said about Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alex Iwobi who added a spark to Chelsea and Arsenal's seasons respectively.
The English are all about youngsters coming through. Having joined the clubs aged seven, eight, nine, and the like, nothing pleases a fan more than seeing that youngster rising through the ranks and representing his club with the first team. 'He's one of our own' is possibly the chant fans sing with the most amount of pride.
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Here are ten promising youngsters who could have a breakthrough season for their clubs this season: (In no particular order whatsoever)
Axel Tuanzebe
"It was the first time I'd picked a first-year scholar as captain. I don't think that has happened since Gary Neville was youth-team skipper. Axel (Tuanzebe) did a very good job - on and off the field," said a gleeful Paul McGuinness – the former Manchester United youth team coach.
Fans of the Red Devils will recall this youngster's name with pure joy. The Rochdale youngster has been the captain of several United youth teams and is line to make his first team debut for the club this season – having already made the bench last time around under Louis van Gaal.
Tuanzebe is comfortable as a centre-back but his pace, athleticism and reading of the game has often seen him deployed as a holding midfielder. Given United's shortcoming in midfield last season, someone in the mould of this youngster could greatly help Jose Mourinho in his first season at the club.
Dominic Solanke
Dominic Solanke has been a household name at Chelsea for a long long time. Having been sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem last season, the 18-year-old scored seven goals in twenty-five appearances for the club played mainly as a striker.
While he does prefer to play up top, the Reading-born youngster can play on either wing and given Michy Batshuayi's arrival at the Bridge, it looks like his opportunity could likely come only on the wing under new manager Antonio Conte.
The Italian doesn't have the best reputation in giving youngsters a chance to shine with the first team but even he'll be advised by Chelsea's youth department about the Englishman's rise to fame – especially given he's on the verge of renegotiating his contract with the club. Chelsea will not want to lose someone this precious to a rival in the Premier League and that could very well give the world the chance to witness Solanke's talent.
Chris Willock
Arsenal fans would have hoped that they'd see Jeff Reine-Adelaide on this list but while the Frenchman is talented and possibly a future star, he's still not ready for the Premier League. Unlike Chris Willock.
The English Under-18 starlet has been a revelation for the Arsenal youth set up in recent years. His flair in attack has often placed him in a bracket apart from the rest. His pace, dribbling and the ability to create a chance out of nothing has caught Arsene Wenger's eyes and the Frenchman could very well give Willock the chance to play with the first team this season.
Arsenal have a rich history of promoting youngsters into the first team with Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi two recent examples. Knowing this, Willock will be confident in securing a first-team slot this year possibly in the Capital One Cup or a few cameos in the Emirates FA Cup, too.
Ben Woodburn
Liverpool fans wouldn't have heard of him before this pre-season given he's only 16-years-old but young Ben Woodburn has already captured the hearts of many Red fans this pre-season with his performances and two goals for Jurgen Klopp's men.
A box-to-box midfielder at his best, Woodburn is touted as the 'next Aaron Ramsey' given his natural stamina and ability to get into dangerous attacking positions when needed most. Given his age and inexperience in the top level, Woodburn isn't going to be a regular with Klopp's team this season but its also simply impossible to overlook his talent and the leadership capabilities he brings when on the field.
Liverpool – like Manchester United – struggled in the midfield last season with the departure of the talismanic Steven Gerrard. Obviously Woodburn is nowhere close to the former Captain and what he could do on the pitch but new blood, young blood and someone who takes charge in the centre of the field will probably aid Klopp in his first full season at Anfield.
Hamza Choudhury
A dynamic action-packed midfielder who has been heavily linked with moves to Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona in the past, Hamza Choudhury is very possibly Leicester City's next star midfielder.
The Indian-origin midfielder who chose to represent England is a tough-tackling, all-action box-to-box midfielder capable of defending as astutely as he can attack. His reading of space and ability to break up play when the opposition is on the ball highlight his versatility in the middle of the park.
Leicester have lost last season's hero, N'Golo Kante, to Chelsea and could very well promote Hamza to the first team this season to ensure they're able to adequately satisfy their fans' demands for the upcoming Premier League season.
Given his rise in the youth set up over the past few seasons, Hamza is on track to become a household name in Leicester and in the Premier League.
Joshua Onomah
We've already seen the kind of talent Josh Onomah is. The Tottenham Hotspurs forward contributed his fair share of flair and tenacity for the North London team in their incredible run towards the end of last season where they managed to finish third in the Premier League above the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United – and behind Arsenal.
Onomah is a no-nonsense attacking midfielder who is capable of playing across the front three. He's right-footed but when on the ball is able to breeze past defenders with ease given his natural predator-like intensity when on the pitch. He's ruthless and make sure that his team attack as much as possible throughout the game.
Onomah has already made his debut in Europe having represented Mauricio Pochettino's men in the UEFA Europa League last year and given that the club have qualified for the UEFA Champions League this time around, a chance to shine on Europe's top stage with one of Europe's most underrated teams could soon be a reality. Watch out for this one.
Ryan Seager
Another starlet to come out of Southampton's famed academy, Ryan Seager could very well be the name the Saints fans will recall with utmost joy. The 20-year-old could very well make it to the first team this season given the departure of Graziano Pelle.
Seager performs best when he's leading the attack as an out-and-out striker. He doesn't show any lack of confidence when in front of goal and has the build and the natural ability to beat defenders to the ball. His pace when on the ball is also impressive.
He could've made it to the first team earlier but given the arrival of Pelle and Jay Rodriguez – who signed from Burnley – Seager was sent out on loan to Crewe Alexandria where he impressed with his overall performance both on and off the field.
Claude Puel – the new manager of Southampton – is a fan of promoting youngsters and Seager will surely be excited to work under such an experienced manager, especially one who is capable of sniffing out real talent and giving them the chance to shine with the first team.
Adam King
We've already seen Adam King play for Swansea and boy is he good. Having played against Arsenal in the Premier League last season, King was instrumental in ensuring his midfield didn't lose their composure to Arsenal's ever-changing attacking combinations.
An excellent reader of the game and one who can pass from anywhere on the pitch, King is one for the future and definitely the kind of the midfielder Swansea need – especially since they lost Jonjo Shelvey to Newcastle in January.
He too was sent on loan to Crewe last year for a few months where he impressed the Swansea hierarchy who later offered the youngster a new three-year deal to stay at the club. The Scotland Under-21 international could make his debut for the Swans this season and should be another midfielder we've to watch out for.
Tyler Roberts
Another talent who has already made his Premier League debut, Tyler Roberts is clearly one for the future. His directness when on the ball and his attacking instinct has impressed West Bromwich Albion and manager Toni Pulis who said, "Tyler is a fabulous finisher. A couple of times it dropped (for him).
"I really do think he’s a player that needs to work harder, needs to bring a little bit more to his game in respect of when he hasn’t got the ball, both in and out of possession.
"I think he could be a top player," he concluded. Words like that from an experienced manager like Pulis outlines the talent West Brom have on their hands. Given West Brom will be pushing for a higher finish this season, Roberts could see more game time and possibly even a lot more starts.
He has the confidence when on the ball and can score goals too. The Welsh contingent will also keep a keen eye on the youngster and could very well give him an international debut in the upcoming friendlies.
Ben Chilwell
Only the second defender on this list, Chilwell is one for the future not only in the eyes of Leicester City fans but those of Manchester United's, Liverpool's and Arsenal's too. The Red Devils, Reds and the Gunners have been strongly linked with the Leicester full-back.
Chilwell rose through the ranks in Leicester and spent half of last year's title-winning season on loan at Huddersfield where he continued to grow and impress scouts who came from all over the country to see and rank the player.
Chilwell is a left-back and is capable of running up and down the field endlessly. His ability to sniff out danger while defending is second to none in his age group and that's what's attracted the interest of some of England's top clubs.
Chilwell could very well make it to the first team on a consistent basis this year given his experience and first-team outings with Huddersfield. He could also, very likely, end up moving to one of the clubs interested in signing him.
