While it is the attackers that grab the limelight time and again, the need to have a quality set of defender has been increasingly becoming the prerequisite to becoming an elite football club. Perhaps, the phrase by a great coach that “Offence wins you games, Defence wins championships”, is increasingly becoming the motto of numerous clubs across the globe.
However, given the competition amongst the various leagues, it is becoming increasingly becoming a priority to bring in rather undiscovered talents in the mould of Sami Hyypia or Nemanja Vidic for little amounts to help reduce the financial burdens on the clubs.
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In the wake of the same, we have compiled a list of top 5 defenders under the age of 23 from Leagues outside the Top 5 European ones (England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France) that could take the world by storm in the years to come.
#1 Filip Benkovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Born in Zagreb, Benkovic joined the Dinamo Zagreb academy as a kid and has risen rapidly through their ranks. He made his senior debut for the Zagreb side in 2015 and has ever since continued to impress with his abilities in the air as well as on the ground.
The player, who operates as a centre-back, possesses an all-round ability as a defender that has caught the eye of numerous clubs across Europe. He is commanding in the air, possesses good speed and acceleration and has also shown the vision to break up the opposition’s moves by making some vital tackles as well as interceptions.
In addition to these, he is tidy when he brings the ball out of defence, a trait very few young defenders possess. His side might not have had a great UEFA Champions League campaign as they finished bottom of their group. However, Benkovic’s performances have been one of the few positives emerging from their campaign, further lending credentials to his growing stature as one of the young centre-backs to look out for.
#2 Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
Tierney, born in Douglas, Isle of Man has been one of the brightest young players emerging out of the Scottish shores over the course of the last 24 months. The 19-year-old left-back joined his boyhood club Celtic as a 7-year-old and was involved with their development squad until the 2014 season when he began knocking on the doors of the senior squad owing to his performances.
He made his senior debut on 22nd April 2015 in a League game against Dundee United and followed it up with a stellar 2015-16 season, where he established himself as his side’s first choice left-back. His performances deservedly earned him the Players’ and Writers’ young player award for the season.
Tierney possesses blistering pace and also has a great final delivery that has made him one of the feared full-backs in the Scottish Premier League. Tidy in possession and capable of defending against pacy wingers, he uses his pace and ability to dislodge the opposition off the ball effectively, Tierney has developed a reputation for being one of the few technically sound young full-backs in Scotland.
#3 Hidde Ter Avest (FC Twente)
A product of the FC Twente academy, Hidde Ter Avest came to the spotlight when he broke into the senior squad during the 2014-15 season as a 17-year-old. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as the first choice Right-back for the club and continues to impress with his solid performances on the right side for the club.
The young full-back is a strong defender, who is more than willing to provide options to the players on the wings via his runs on the overlap as well as his ability to put in crosses. Add to that, his ability to hold his own against marauding wingers using his strength and pace and Ter Avest is an all-round player who has shown promise of being one of the best full-backs in Europe.
The regular game time has helped him develop rapidly through the years and despite being only 19 years of age, the fact that he has established himself in the Twente side is a testament to his abilities.
#4 Jairo Riedewald (Ajax)
The next young defender on our list is Ajax’s centre-back Jairo Riedewald. Riedewald joined the SC Overbos as a kid and was on their books until 2007 when the famed Ajax academy pried him away having recognised his potential to grow into a top notch defender and they could not have been wrong about it.
Initially involved with the club’s youth sides, the defender made his senior Ajax debut on 19th December, 2013 in his side’s KNVB cup tie against IJsselmeervogels and followed it up with his senior debut in the Eredivisie just a few days later. Over the last 2 seasons, the player has established himself as a regular at the club and has already notched up over 50 senior appearances for the side, despite being just 20 years old.
The versatile player, who can also play as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder is very tidy with his passing as well as in possession. He likes to help his side build up play from the back while ensuring that he does his fair share of defensive work and that has helped him establish himself as one of the brightest young defenders in The Netherlands.
#5 Sven Van Beek (Feyenoord)
The Dutch League has established a reputation for being a talent-laden one and it does not surprise us that our next entrant into the list is yet another Dutch defender, Sven Van Beek.
The Dutch defender, who is a product of the Feyenoord academy, made his senior debut on 30th January 2013 and has gone from strength to strength over the course of the last few seasons. Initially deployed as a right-back during his formative years, Van Beek moved to the centre of the pitch and has been impressive.
A strong defender who makes life tough for the opposition attackers, he offers very little time and space for the attackers to operate in and is always willing to go into tackles to help the cause of his team. With his ability to make clean tackles and vital interceptions, Van Beek is a solid presence to have at the rear end of the pitch. Yet, what has impressed people the most is his ability on the ball. To add to that, he also uses his height to great effect and can be described as a dominant presence aerially.
He is very calm in possession, loves to build play from the back and does not shy away from making a creative pass if he sees an intelligent run. At 22 years of age, the player is still developing and given his performances, it would be a miracle if Feyenoord held on to him for long.
