Roy Hodgson has turned heads this year by announcing his England squad for the 2014 World Cup: he chose to take many players under the age of 22 to Brazil. Sites such as https://sports.coral.co.uk/football/world-cup featured all sorts of predictions as to England’s final squad, but with players such as Ashley Cole being shunned in favour of younger up and comers, there were some surprises.
While a mix of less and more experienced players is deemed a good choice by some pundits, others are saying that playing youngsters aged just 18, such as Luke Shaw, could be a bad move for our boys.
With youth comes potential however, and it’s not just the England squad that features some promising younger players this year. Here’s a look at just a few upcoming stars who could set this year’s tournament alight.
Thibaut Courtois
At 21 years of age, Chelsea player Thibaut Courtois is already making a name for himself as a very promising goalkeeper. The Belgian native has 13 caps, and could see a prosperous 10-15 years ahead of him, given the relatively longer shelf life of goalkeepers. With sharp reflexes and a41 appearances for Atlético Madrid, he could make Belgium very proud this year.
Raphael Varane
Real Madrid’s dependable defender Raphael Varane is just 19 years of age, but that hasn’t stopped him from making five caps, proving him a worthy asset to France’s national team. Having made 60 appearances for Real Madrid, Varane’s experience started very young, and he has helped to secure the team’s two wins and one draw during the famed ‘El Clásico.’
Paul Pogba
Central midfielder Paul Pogba has 8 caps and 1 goal under his belt, currently playing for Juventus. Another asset to the French team, Pogba has played with some of the world’s best teams including Manchester United, and was also awarded the Golden Boy Award in 2013, aged 20.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
20-year-old Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has proven he’s a forced to be reckoned with recently, particularly if his recent injury comebacks are anything to go by. He returned in January after taking time off for a cruciate knee ligament injury with amazing results: 3 goals and 5 assists in 14 Arsenal matches to be exact. He proved himself a worthy opponent against Bayern Munich in February:
let’s just hope he’s as dependable for the England team as he is for Arsenal.