Top 5 youngsters who took the footballing world by storm in 2013

Raphaël Varane

When Real Madrid bought the talented French defender Varane from the relative obscurity of Lens for around €10 million in the summer of 2011, more than a few eyebrows were raised. After all, talented as Varane was, he was an 18-year-old centre back and there were those who said that Madrid were making a big mistake. But in the last 12 months, Varane has shown just why he could very well be one of the finest center backs of his generation and live up to the words of Zinedine Zidane who described him as “the finest French center-back since Laurent Blanc”.

Although he scored his first goal for the club in September 2011, making him the youngest foreign player to score a goal for the club, it was last season that he finally came of age. On January 30, 2013, Varane made his El Clásico debut in a performance that saw him win over many Madrid hearts. Not only did he equalize and become the second-youngest foreign player to score for Real Madrid in a Clásico match, his defensive display throughout the game was faultless as he held Barcelona at bay. And in the Champions League clash against Manchester United a little later, his performance was eerily similar to a defender on the opposing side, who was, arguably the best centre back at that moment, Nemanja Vidic. Still only 20, Varane still has a long and prosperous future ahead of him.Marco Verratti

Although Marco Verratti was catching the eye in Serie B with Pescara in 2011, he knew very well that a bigger stage awaited him. And the promised move arrived in the summer of 2012, when PSG came calling and the Italian midfielder duly obliged. Ever since moving to Paris, Verratti has become an integral part of the Parisian side and the Italian played a key role last year in helping PSG reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they lost to Barcelona in the summer.

Ever since his move to PSG, he has been one of the mainstays in midfield, which is no mean feat in itself. Operating as a deep-lying midfield playmaker, the 20-year-old Italian’s play bears a striking resemblance to that of Italy legend Andrea Pirlo. And with three senior caps to his name already, Verratti might yet take the former’s role in the national side before too long. Verratti was arguably one of the stars of last summer’s European Under-21 Championships. This season as well, the Italian has started brightly and is destined for big things in the future.Julian Draxler

It seems as though Germany cannot stop producing world-class attacking midfielders. Whilst there have been plenty who have emerged in the past few years, the man in the spotlight this year is Schalke’s Julian Draxler. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has caught the eye time and again over the past 12 months and has been constantly linked with a move away from Germany to either England or Spain.

The reason Arsenal, Manchester United and a whole host of other clubs have been queuing for his signature is his ability on the ball. Whilst there are plenty of good attacking players going around, what separates him from the rest is his maturity on the ball, and his ability to pick the precise moment to either thread the ball through the eye of a needle or hammer home a finish from long range. His four goals in the Champions League this season, has been the main reason why Schalke got through to the knockout stage and it only looks like a matter of time before he find his way to a bigger club.Isco

After leading Malaga into Europe, Isco was looking for a bigger platform to display his skills and that is precisely what he got when Real Madrid came calling this past summer. After a fantastic season that ended with him picking up the European Under-21 Championship with Spain in the summer, the versatile attacking midfielder wasn’t short on options in the summer.

So far, his decision to choose Real Madrid seems like the right one, with him seemingly continuing from where he left off last year. He started the season on fire and already has six goals and three assists to his name. In a Real Madrid squad that isn’t short on talent, the Spaniard is making a name for himself with his reading of the game and ability to pick out the perfect pass. 2013 certainly has been an important year for the 21-year-old who is getting better and better with every passing game and living up to Zidane’s description that he is “the most talented midfielder of his generation.”Paul Pogba

There are not many players, who escape the watchful eyes of Sir Alex Ferguson, but Paul Pogba managed to do just that. After being deemed surplus for requirements at Manchester United, Pogba moved to Juventus last season and has since then been nothing less than a revelation, not just in Italy, but in Europe as well. After his transfer to the Old Lady, he has grown leaps and bounds and has even earned himself the nickname Il Polpo Paul (“Paul the Octopus”).

After establishing himself in the Juventus first-team, he went on to have an amazing summer in 2013, as he captained the France U-20 side, which won the World Cup in Turkey and also received the Golden Ball, for his performances. His performances for both club and country, led to him being named 2013 Golden Boy, an award that is given to the best Under-21 player in Europe.

Described by Patrick Vieira r as France’s best young player at the moment, the 20-year-old Frenchman certainly has the world at his feet, at the moment.