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With every passing year, a whole new influx of youth talents rise up through the ranks and into the limelight, showcasing their ability for all to see. Naturally, the sudden success of England's youth system has come as a surprise to some, but as far as the FA is concerned, this has been a long time coming.
Not since the mid-2000's has England had a national side with such staggering potential; Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were the youth talents coming through the system at that time - and look what they went on to achieve. Who's to say that these lads won't do the same?
In this list, we'll take a look at ten English youth talents and rank them in terms of who shows the most promise, and how exciting they are to watch. Let us know in the comments below if you agree with the rankings.
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#10 Tammy Abraham (Chelsea - On loan at Aston Villa)
Tammy Abraham is a 21-year-old striker who plays for Aston Villa in the Championship. He's currently on loan from Chelsea. Abraham has also featured for England's national team twice since his debut in November 2017.
Everyone who's familiar with how brutal Chelsea's youth system can be will know that you have to be a great player in order to keep your place in their set-up. Many players, of all abilities, have slipped through the cracks, dismissed to obscure teams after being deemed not good enough by the coaches. If any player that comes through the Chelsea ranks looks to be getting a place in the first team, they must have something special about them.
Abraham has been shifted through Chelsea's U18, U21 and U23 squad in the past, before finally being promoted to the first team in the summer of 2017. He spent a season on loan with Bristol City whilst he was with Chelsea's U23 squad, and caught the eye thanks to his 23 goals in 40 appearances in the league.
The following season, he was shipped out to Swansea City, where he netted five times in 15 matches, scoring two in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup as well.
Right now, there are rumours about him being recalled by Chelsea so he can either be used by Maurizio Sarri as a back-up option in the first team, or so that he can be loaned to a team of higher pedigree - preferably in the Premier League. His ability speaks for itself: he's scored 16 goals in 21 appearances for Villa, which is truly incredible for a player of his age.
There's no doubt that we'll be seeing Abraham with a top-tier team soon.
#9 Reiss Nelson (Arsenal - On loan at TSG Hoffenheim)
Reiss Nelson is a 19-year-old right winger who plays for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. He's currently on loan from Arsenal. Nelson has represented England at the U21 level, having made four appearances and scored twice since his debut in October 2018.
Following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho, Nelson has developed dramatically since the summer, thanks to his loan move to the Bundesliga. It seems that when young players are able to play in top-tier divisions to pick up experience, they make significant progress - much more than they would in some typical run-of-the-mill Championship side. The Bundesliga has many similarities to the Premier League, especially in terms of its fast pace, which benefits the players when they return.
Since joining Hoffenheim, Nelson's market value has risen by over £13m, according to Transfermarkt. This is a staggering change and just goes to show the impact a proper loan deal can have when done right.
Reiss Nelson is still not technically a part of Arsenal's first team, with his contract stating that he's part of the U23's instead, but that's bound to be changed once he returns.
#8 Lewis Cook (Bournemouth)
Lewis Cook is a 21-year-old central midfielder who plays for Bournemouth in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made just a single appearance since his debut in March 2018.
Cook began his career with Leeds, and was promoted to their first team from the U18 squad in the summer of 2014. Two years later, he would make the switch to Bournemouth for around £6.5m, favouring Premier League football instead.
Cook has since become an integral part of Bournemouth's midfield and his 29 appearances for the Cherries last season confirmed that. Whilst he might not yet be performing as well for the national team, he has consolidated himself in the Premier League at the age of 21, which is no mean feat.
#7 Ademola Lookman (Everton)
Ademola Lookman is a 21-year-old left winger who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's U21 squad, having made nine appearances since his debut in September 2017.
Lookman is yet another name on this list who's flourished from a loan spell in the Bundesliga; he spent six months - from January 2018 to June 2018 - with RB Leipzig, and played so well that Leipzig offered £25m for him two months later. Everton rejected this, however, keen to keep him in the side.
Lookman has played in 12 matches so far this season, assisting two goals. It's only a matter of time before he earns himself a permanent place in the first team. With the January transfer window in full swing, however, the Toffees will need to try extra hard to keep hold of him, as he's certainly one to watch.
#6 Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Phil Foden is an 18-year-old central midfielder who plays for Manchester City in the Premier League. He has featured for England's national team at several levels, except the first team (U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21). Foden actually captained the U17 side to World Cup glory last year, turning heads everywhere.
Foden has only ever been with Manchester City, having graduated from their youth academy to the U18 squad in the summer of 2016, before being promoted to the first team the following year. He has begun to feature more often in the first team squad, with four appearances to his name so far this season, in which he scored twice and assisted a goal.
We're definitely going to be seeing a lot more of Phil Foden in the coming years, whether it's through his performances for Man City or England.
#5 Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Joe Gomez is a 21-year-old centre-back who plays for Liverpool in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made six appearances since his debut in November 2017. Already valued at £31.5m, according to Transfermarkt, Joe Gomez is set to become one of England's next big things.
Gomez began his career at right-back with Charlton, and would occasionally play at left-back too when depth was required. He only spent a year more with Charlton before Liverpool would swoop in and sign him for around £4.5m in the summer of 2015. His development at Anfield saw him quickly turn into one of the most promising defenders in the country.
Now, Gomez plays consistently for Liverpool, having consolidated himself in the first team over the past couple of years, and he's only set to get better.
#4 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
Ryan Sessegnon is an 18-year-old left midfielder who plays for Fulham in the Premier League. He's featured for England at U21 level, but is yet to make an appearance for the first team.
Like Joe Gomez, Sessegnon also has a market value of around £31.5m, marking him out as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League right now.
After graduating to Fulham's U18 squad from the youth academy in 2015, Sessegnon was duly promoted to the first team after a year, at just 16 years old. He flourished for Fulham in the Championship and was a key player in their campaign for promotion.
It's a surprise to many that Sessegnon is still at Fulham, but the possibility of a move either this window or in the summer is very likely, especially given that Fulham are nearing relegation at the moment.
#3 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is a 20-year-old right-back who plays for Liverpool in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made five appearances since his debut in June 2018. A-A was included in England's World Cup squad this summer, too.
A-A has been with Liverpool since the start of his career, having made his way through their youth system. Since being promoted to the first team in the summer of 2016, A-A has consolidated his position at right-back, ousting Nathaniel Clyne (who has recently been shipped out to Bournemouth) and making the role his own.
With a market value of around £40m, there's no doubting that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on course to become one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.
#2 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford is a 21-year-old striker who plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made 31 appearances since his debut in May 2016.
It seems as if Rashford has been around forever, so it may come as a surprise to some to find out he's still just 21 years old. He got his first start for United under Louis van Gaal in 2016, and has been a key player in their strikeforce since.
Transfermarkt value Rashford at almost £60m, which reflects just how far he's come in that time since his debut over two years ago. He's still got a great deal more to offer, though, and the future looks bright for the Mancunian.
#1 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Jadon Sancho is an 18-year-old left winger who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. He has also featured for England's national team, having made three appearances since his debut in October 2018.
Sancho began his career with Watford, playing for their youth academy from 2007 to 2015, before he switched to Manchester City. Within a year, he had been promoted to their U18 squad, and was in the process of working towards the first team when an offer came in from Borussia Dortmund. Before this time, many players would've dismissed these opportunities, too keen for a spot in their current side, but Sancho didn't.
A £7m offer was accepted by the City board and off Sancho went, and what a decision that would be! Since the move, Sancho has flourished into a rising star, almost on the verge of world class. He dons the number 7 kit for Dortmund and is a catalyst for goals.
Perhaps his decision to play elsewhere and get the ball rolling in his career early on might inspire others to do the same.
