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#3 Youthful exuberance
The infusion of youth has been one of the most important reasons behind Schalke's success story this season.
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Famously known for their world famous youth academy, Die Knappenschmiede, Schalke have been brewing young and exciting youth talents for quite some time now. This season has been no exception either as the Royal Blues boast one of the most promising youth-based teams in the Bundesliga.
While regular first-team midfielders such as Leon Goretzka(22), Nabil Bentaleb(23), Am and Max Meyer(23) are all aged 23 or below, the presence of a string of youth academy players has added much-needed depth in midfield.
American youngster Weston McKennie has been one of those young players making a mark in the German top flight this season. The 19-year-old native from Texas has already made 12 appearances in all competition. His impressive work rate coupled with incredible tenacity is perfectly suited for the tactical ideology of Domenico Tedesco.
