The Kids Are Alright – The Wonderkids that are bossing the Premier League at the moment
“You’ll never win anything with kids” uttered former Liverpool star Alan Hansen on Match of the Day in 1995. Later that year, Manchester United’s young guns, made up of a mix of seasoned veterans and academy products, won the Premier League.
Yet, in the 21st century, the massive amounts of money in the Premier League has led to teams overlooking their academy and investing in foreign or ready-made talents as opposed to developing the players themselves. *Enter FFP*. Financial Fair Play has meant that teams are restricted in their spending. Everton have already been fined 10 Premier League points for breaching the rules and now teams are walking on eggshells, trying to avoid any punishment. As a result, clubs are looking to their academies to find new talent.
In 2023/24, the kids are back. In almost every Premier League team, there is an academy player in the matchday squad week in and week out. This year alone, many talents have broken through, here are the best!
Conor Bradley (20) – Liverpool – Right-Back
Eight years ago, Liverpool hit the jackpot when Trent Alexander-Arnold burst onto the scene as a freshly faced 18-year-old right-back who swiftly became one of the world’s very best. Now, it looks like they’ve done it again. Irish Conor Bradley has broken through in 2024 and has been getting minutes as Alexander-Arnold comes back from injury. Now fit, TAA may be moved into midfield to make space for the two of them. Making his first Premier League start against Bournemouth, he looked entirely comfortable and grabbed an assist. The following weekend against Norwich in the FA Cup, he grabbed two more assists. Then against Chelsea, it was where Bradley really shone. It was as if Trent Alexander-Arnold had respawned. He was spraying passes around Anfield with ease, notched two more assists, and scored an excellent goal, all whilst keeping Chelsea’s attack at bay. What an excellent footballer!
Oscar Bobb (20) – Manchester City – Right-Winger
Oscar Bobb is a silky, silky footballer. The Norwegian youngster had been making waves in the youth team before breaking through this year. Bobb started creeping into the first team at the beginning of the season, but it has been the last two months where he has shone. He scored his first goal for City in the Champions League against Red Star Belgrade and won his first Norway cap against the Faroe Islands, a game he both scored and assisted in.
On the 13th of January, Bobb announced himself to the wider footballing world. Away at St James Park, it appeared that City would drop two points to a tough Newcastle side. In the 91st minute, up stepped Bobb and the recently returned Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian wizard whipped a delicious ball through to Bobb on the left side who used his first touch to knock the ball past the onrushing Trippier, his second touch to La Croqueta (ball roll) past a helpless Martin Dubravka, and his third and final touch to tap it into an empty net, winning the game for City.
Lewis Miley (17) – Newcastle – Centre-Midfielder
Lewis Miley is only 17 years old and he’s bossing Champions League games and starting regularly for a top Newcastle side. Having never featured in the Premier League before, Miley started against Bournemouth in November and has started almost every game since. The local boy is a Newcastle fan-favourite and his performances have been rewarded with a new long-term contract.
Kobbie Mainoo (18) – Manchester United – Centre-Midfielder
There aren’t enough words to describe the coolness of Kobbie Mainoo’s maiden Premier League goal against Wolves the other day. He is simply calmness personified. After United squandered two different two-goal leads in the game, the score was 3-3 in the 95th minute at the Molineux. United were rattled. Mainoo wasn’t. Picking up the ball from Omari Forson in the middle of the pitch, he jinked past Joao Gomes, nutmegged Max Kilman, used Forson’s run as a decoy, dribbled inside and then curled the ball from the edge of the box into Jose Sa’s far corner, winning the game for the Red Devils. He celebrated with the calma calma, as if this was all part of his plan and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It was just another match for Kobbie Mainoo.
He has been a mainstay for United since starting against Everton in November and he has continued to go from strength to strength each game. He knows when to speed up the play, and also when to slow it down. His gauge of tempo is fantastic and is a skill that no other United midfielder possesses. He’s an oasis of serenity in an often stormy and turbulent Manchester United midfield and he will have a bright future with the Reds. Watch out, if he continues as such, he may even be on the England team plane to Germany in the summer for the Euros!
Bruno Fernandes recalls when he first saw Kobbie Mainoo during United’s youth games.
— 365Scores (@365Scores) February 2, 2024
Now he’s scoring winners in the Premier League 👏#BrunoFernandes #KobbieMainoo #ManchesterUnited #ManUnited #EPL #365Scores pic.twitter.com/f72YJTtWCr
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By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter (X)
