Football: The Next Generation

In the realm of professional football, the role of a goalkeeper is crucial, with their acrobatics and shot-stopping abilities often making the difference between victory and defeat. While outfield players often steal the limelight, the development of young goalkeepers is an equally important aspect of the sport.  In this article, we explore the journey of young goalkeepers in their quest for success, showcasing specific examples of their development and highlighting the key factors that contribute to their rise to the top. 1. Gianluigi Buffon The legendary Italian goalkeeper, serves as a prime example of exceptional development. Starting his career at Parma, Buffon displayed remarkable composure and shot-stopping abilities from a young age. His consistent performances earned him a move to Juventus, where he solidified his reputation as one of the greatest goalkeepers in history. 2. Alisson Becker The rise of Alisson Becker, the Brazilian shot-stopper, is another remarkable tale of deve

The UEFA Champions League semi-finals are upon us and the battle for the European crown is heating up. As we get ready to witness some of the finest football on the continent, there are a number of young players who are sure to be key figures in the semi-finals, as Manchester City and Real Madrid square off, and AC Milan and Inter Milan prepare for a derby clash. The match-ups feature some of the biggest names in world football and there are plenty of exciting young players to watch out for. Here, we take a look at some of the best young stars to watch in the Champions League semi-finals. Real Madrid – Vinícius Júnior The 22-year-old Brazilian is one of the most exciting players in Europe right now. Having joined Real Madrid in 2018, he has made a name for himself with his electric pace and skillful dribbling. He’s already scored six goals and provided five assists in the Champions League this season, and will be looking to add to those numbers in the semi-finals. He is sure to be a ha

With Euro 2020 swiftly approaching this summer, we are going to look at five of the best young footballers that might catch your eye at the 16th edition of the UEFA European Championships. For the sake of criteria we are going to only consider players that are 23 years of age or under and have a realistic chance of starting for their national teams this summer. To try and diversify our list we are only going to consider a maximum of one player per country. 5. Kai Havertz - 21 - Midfielder/Forward - Germany Having signed for Chelsea after an immense breakthrough season at Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz got off to a rocky start but is now flying after linking up with fellow German, Thomas Tuchel, as he arrived as Chelsea's new head coach. He's scored four goals and assisted three in about 1500 minutes of Premier League football and could be on course to win the Champions League with Chelsea this season. One of the best young attacking midfielders on the planet, Havertz can also play u

Anssumane Fati Vieira, more commonly known as Ansu Fati, lit up the world last season in La Liga 2019/20, where he became the youngest player to feature in a senior match since 1941 at the age of just 16 years and 298 days and incredibly became Barcelona's youngest ever goalscorer in a senior game just 6 days after his debut. He's also the youngest player to ever score a brace in the La Liga, the youngest player to score and assist in the same La Liga match, and the youngest player to play for Barcelona in the Champions League. This article will detail everything you need to know about the young starlet's background, style of play, statistics and of course, comparisons to Lionel Messi. Background Ansu Fati was born into a family of footballers, his dad Bori played in the lower tiers in Portugal whilst two of his brothers also play football. One of these, Braima, happens to be the reason that Ansu moved to Seville, Spain from Guinea-Bissau at the age of 6, after his brother