EPL 2017/18: 5 young English players to watch out for

Gray is a versatile player and can play anywhere across the frontline

The English youth set up's pace of churning out remarkable players is at an all-time high. The success of the youth system has been showcased through the performances of England's U-19, U-20 and U-21 teams.

The U-20 team delivered England its first major international trophy since 1966 when they won the U-20 World Cup, beating Venezuela in the finals. The U-19 team won the Euros by beating Portugal in the finals. Although the U-21 team could not manage to win their tournament, they put on a very promising show, narrowly losing to eventual winner Germany on penalties.

After a very successful international summer with the youth teams, some of these players will be looking to kick on and make a name for themselves at the senior level. This progression has to start when they return to action at the club level.

Club fans will be buzzing to see some of these young players in action for their respective clubs.

Let's take a look at 5 young Englishmen who could make themselves a household name in English football.

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#1 Demarai Gray

Gray has been around the Leicester City set up for a couple of years now but has found his opportunities limited to appearances off the bench or starts in cup competitions. He has not been able to force his way into the starting XI on a regular basis.

Whenever he has played, Gray has shown that he has the skill and fight in him to be able to play with the best. His ability to run with the ball at pace is something that will make any defender's life a difficult one. He is a versatile player and can play anywhere across the frontline.

This could be his year to try and break into the starting team because it is looking more and more likely that Riyad Mahrez could be on his way out of Leicester City. Given a strong run in the first team and a chance to play week in-week out in the league, Gray could go on to have a stellar season. He is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on.

#2 Jordan Pickford

To call Sunderland's league campaign last year a disaster would be an understatement. The entire team was in shambles.

Through all the doom and gloom of a relegation fight, Sunderland did give English football a gem of a goalkeeper.

Pickford was the only consistent performer for the club, along with Jermain Defoe, last year. His consistency was epitomised by a performance against Arsenal towards the end of the 16/17 season, where he made 11 saves to keep the scoreline at a respectable 2-0 in favour the Gunners.

Even after Sunderland's disastrous campaign and subsequent relegation, Pickford was able to earn himself a big-money move to Everton as part of Koeman's bid to challenge the top-six of English football. In Pickford, the Toffees have got themselves a fine young keeper, who many tip to be England's No.1 for years to come.

#3 Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham is another player to come out of the Chelsea Youth system. However, he has found it difficult to make a name for himself at the club.

He played the 15/16 season with Chelsea's youth set up and made two appearances for the first team.

Abraham started to show what he is capable of after being loaned out to Championship side Bristol City for a year at the start of the 16/17 season. During his time at Bristol, Abraham managed to score 23 goals, finishing second in the Championship scoring charts.

His prolific season earned him a long-term contract back at Chelsea, before being loaned out to Swansea for 17/18 Premier League season. With an ageing Fernando Llorente his only real competition, Abraham could force his way into the starting XI for the Swans.

He scored for Swansea in his first pre-season appearance and looks set to have a strong season ahead of him.

#4 Dominic Solanke

Just like Abraham, Solanke is a product of the Chelsea Youth system who has failed to break into their first team. Luckily for the centre-forward, his performances for various clubs he was loaned to caught the attention of Jurgen Klopp, and he subsequently earned a move to Liverpool.

Solanke boosted his reputation as a player through his performances at the U20 World Cup that was held in South Korea, which ended with England as the winners. He was an integral part of that team, scoring four goals and finished the tournament as the winner of the Golden Ball.

Solanke has already hit the ground running in his Liverpool career, scoring a wonderful goal against Crystal Palace in a pre-season friendly. He has already shown that he has the ability to score goals and be a focal point in attack, which is crucial for any forward.

With a manager like Klopp, who isn't afraid of giving opportunities to young players, Solanke could have a great year ahead of him. Definitely, a player worth following.

#5 Alfie Mawson

When Alfie Mawson made the move from Barnsley to Swansea at the beginning of the 16/17 campaign he was a relatively unknown 22-year-old. He struggled to find a place in the team under Francesco Guidolin but made his way into the starting team under Bob Bradley. Even though Bradley's Swansea were a defensively unstable team, Mawson was a standout performer.

After Bradley's departure, the central defender made himself an integral part of Paul Clement's revolution at Swansea. He managed to score four very important goals for the Swans in their quest to survive in the Premier League.

Besides having the ability to score goals as a defender, Mawson also had a very impressive disciplinary record last season, only getting booked once in 27 appearances. Swansea will look to push on from last year's relegation battle and make their way up the table with Mawson at the heart of their defence.