#youth-development

#youth-development

Ethan Nwaneri had a breakout season last term when the Arsenal forward deputised so impressively for the injured Bukayo Saka. He played mostly on the right wing and scored nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions to mark himself out as one of England's most talented young players. Nwaneri, now 18, also became the second-youngest goalscorer in Champions League history when he netted against Girona last January at 17 years and 314 days old - only Jude Bellingham did so at a younger age.

When he was very young, I didn't really think my boy would go on and be such a good player, to be honest. You know, he used to play a lot with me at home, because he loved football. I'm very proud of him for getting to where he is today. I always pray for him, and I hope he achieves his dream.

Germany's Das Reboot roadmap that took a hard look at the grassroots youth academies throughout the country throughout the mid 2000's ultimately reached a crescendo into their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil. Reanalyzing the way they looked at investing in their youth throughout German football and changing tactics in an ever-changing footballing landscape, especially in international competition, Die Mannschaft were able to get back on their perch in Brazil,

Chelsea and Manchester City are both weighing up potential moves for Leicester City's highly rated teenage winger Jeremy Monga, with interest in the 16-year-old continuing to intensify ahead of the January transfer window. According to TEAMtalk, the Premier League giants are closely monitoring Monga's development as he establishes himself as one of the most exciting young talents currently playing senior football in England.

The Greek midfielder has the potential to develop into a top-class player with the right guidance. Karetsas has been hailed as a pretty special' talent in the past. He can operate as a central attacking midfielder as well as on the wings. He will add technical ability and creativity to the side. Chelsea could certainly use someone with his skill set in the final third.

Arsenal are among a host of top European clubs interested in one of the brightest emerging talents from Norway this week. The north London side have become renowned in recent years for bringing through starlets from their youth ranks, Bukayo Saka being the obvious poster boy. The winger paved the way for the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to follow, with 15-year-old Max Dowman the latest to step up into the first-team equation.

But it is definitely something that we're going to have to be thoughtful with how to bring along some of our talented young players and incorporate them into our core. That being said, it's a constant challenge because we have the highest of expectations going into each season. But I do think it's something we're going to have to be deliberate and thoughtful about as we look out. That doesn't necessarily mean Opening Day 2026.

There are shared languages that transcend what is written down or spoken aloud. Young people seem to understand this better than most. The teenagers at a recent after-school study hour in East Oakland spoke mainly in Spanish, but when they exchanged knowing grins, or burst into sudden laughter, it was clear that even behind a language barrier, this was an environment they trusted.

There are shared languages that transcend what is written down or spoken aloud. Young people seem to understand this better than most. The teenagers at a recent after-school study hour in East Oakland spoke mainly in Spanish, but when they exchanged knowing grins, or burst into sudden laughter, it was clear that even behind a language barrier, this was an environment they trusted.

"Boys that age don't get given these sorts of opportunities with that regularity unless they're incredible talents," one agent said. "We saw it with Lewis Miley a couple of seasons ago, then Kobbie Mainoo, but he was a little older. "More often, you see young players get a few minutes off the bench, or start matches out wide away from the spine of the team. But to be in the middle of the park? Well, that's special."

The cracks are starting to show with this England team and with the narrative we've been fed for three years after another defeat. Their identity of always taking the aggressive option, of relentlessly putting pressure on their opponents, isn't holding up to scrutiny. So far in this series they haven't had the strength needed to achieve it, and they haven't had the skills either.

Our club is currently proving that we can compete with the big European clubs, even though we don't have the same financial resources. For me, Bayern are currently one of the three best teams in the world. And scoring a goal at the Allianz Arena is probably one of the toughest tasks for any team in the world right now. It will be a game where Bayern are the clear favorites. On our side, we only have the ambition and dreams of our players,

Me first joining the program, I was incarcerated... I was like, woah, I've never done this before. It helped me escape from the reality I was in, and it helped me belong,

A teenager who regularly starts at a club is notable event. A 16-year-old who regularly starts for one of the teams vying to be promoted to the Bundesliga is something else. Ergo everybody looked over to Hertha Berlin as Kennet Eichhorn, a product of Hertha Berlin's illustrious academy, suddenly got integrated into the first and started gathering minutes as the 2025/26 season began. He impressed with his technique and decision making,

A lot of hard work, but we got there, it's fantastic news for us to be celebrating. "When we launched the strategy back in 2021... we had less than 10,000 players. "We really had to look strategically at how we wanted to achieve this, what was such an ambitious target at the time, and really focusing on what resource our clubs, our leagues needed, and how we can create national programmes that inspire girls and women of all ages from all different backgrounds to take up football.

The son of former Chelsea and Brazil captain Thiago Silva, Isago, has signed his first professional contract with the Premier League club. The 17-year-old was promoted to Chelsea's under-18 squad in the summer. Isago and his younger brother, Iago, joined Chelsea's youth academy when their father moved to Stamford Bridge in August 2020 from Paris Saint-Germain. In a statement, Chelsea said that Isago has "developed into a versatile and reliable defender, comfortable operating at both left-back and centre-back."