The next Sancho or Greenwood? Meet England's new generation of teenage stars

Tom Maston

The next Sancho or Greenwood? Meet England's new generation of teenage stars image

Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, Mason Greenwood; for the best part of 20 years English football has never had such an exciting crop of young players to pick from when it comes to international selection.

For the first time all three are part of Gareth Southgate's senior squad for their upcoming Nations League clashes against Iceland and Denmark, with the trio the leaders of a generation that many believe can help the Three Lions challenge for honours on a regular basis.

Others such as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Bukayo Saka and Rhian Brewster are expected to join them as England regulars in the coming years having begun to make their mark on the senior game at their respective clubs.

They will not, however, be able to do it on their own. Fortunately for England and Southgate, there are more and more players on the cusp of breaking through that many hope will succeed at the very highest level.

England's coaches have great belief in a group of players that were born in 2003 and currently make up their Under-17s side. They include the likes of Jude Bellingham, Harvey Elliott, Karamoko Dembele, Jamal Musiala, Louie Barry and Liam Delap.

They will not be the last of this golden generation either, with a number of players currently aged 15 and 16 having begun to catch the eye of scouts from around the world.

Some of those players form part of FFDTV's NEX GEN group, with the London-based academy keen to showcase all aspects of the most talented young footballers in England and Europe.

FFDTV have previously worked with the likes of Sancho, Hudson-Odoi, Reiss Nelson, Ryan Sessegnon, Tammy Abraham and Angel Gomes as they aim to highlight the increasing influence of street football in the professional game and help inspire the next generation.

Earlier in 2020 they held a number of sessions with players from Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and other top clubs in a bid to illustrate the talent that is about to emerge over the course of the next half-decade.

So who are the next Sanchos and Greenwoods that could help lead England to World Cup glory?

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Man City)

Despite only just turning 16 in early August, Bynoe-Gittens has already made appearances for City's U18s side during a 2019-20 campaign that saw him finish with 11 goals and eight assists from the wing.

Having previously been on Reading's books before joining City, Bynoe-Gittens could now be on the move again, with Borussia Dortmund heavily linked with signing the teenage star.

Paris Saint-Germain were also reportedly interested in the England U16s international, but he looks set to follow in Sancho's footsteps and swap City for BVB.

Benicio Baker-Boaitey (West Ham)

Having previously represented Chelsea, Baker-Boaitey has developed into one of English football's outstanding young prospects during his time at West Ham, for whom he has already played at U18 level despite only recently turning 16.

A number of top European clubs have reportedly shown interest in signing the teenage winger, including Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United and Liverpool, and he does now look set to leave the Hammers in the coming weeks.

Having spent time in Germany earlier this summer as he visited a number of clubs including Bayern Munich, it is understood that Porto have won the race to sign the highly-coveted young star.

Omari Hutchinson (Arsenal)

Having been with Arsenal since the age of 12, 16-year-old Hutchinson has grown into one of the most promising players within the Gunners' academy system.

The attacking midfielder will be part of the north London outfit's scholarship intake for the new season having previously spent time with both the U18s and U23s squads.

Hutchinson also made three appearances for England's U17s in early 2020, providing four assists in some eye-catching displays.

Omari Forson (Man Utd)

Another 16-year-old attacking midfielder, United had to beat off stiff competition from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton to sign Forson in January 2020.

Having previously spent time at both West Ham and Tottenham, Forson has already made the step up to United's U18s side.

Some reports have suggested he could sign a professional contract in the near future such is the excitement around Old Trafford regarding his talent.

Darko Gyabi (Man City)

Having been likened to Paul Pogba and Yaya Toure due to his physical attributes and ability on the ball in midfield, 16-year-old Gyabi has been earmarked as a top talent from a very young age.

City beat off interest from Arsenal and Wolves to sign Gyabi from Millwall in 2018, with the Etihad Stadium outfit paying an initial £300,000 to take the teenager north, though that fee could rise to as much as £1 million.

A regular at U16s level for England, Gyabi has already played for City's U18s and is set for another season playing above his own age group in 2020-21.

Roshaun Mathurin (Tottenham)

Sixteen-year-old winger Mathurin has already represented Spurs at both U18s and U19s level, with his creativity setting him apart from his peers.

It was over the summer that he would form part of the club's scholarship intake as he looks to catch the eye of Jose Mourinho.

FFDTV can be found on YouTube and Instagram. Their full NEX GEN series can be found here.

Tom Maston