The top ten best players in the Premier League under the age of 23.
10. Luke Shaw – Southampton
The 18-year-old has been busy making himself a mainstay in the Saints first team over the past two seasons and has even seen his name mentioned in and around the England national side too.
Furthermore, he has two of the four big boys in the division all a flutter over his future as Manchester United and Chelsea are both eager to continue his development at the highest level.
9. Andros Townsend – Tottenham Hotspur
There was a time when the 22-year-old must have thought it was never going to happen for him, enduring nine loan spells with nine separate clubs will do that to you, but what it did give him was a taste of regular first team football across all divisions of the English set up.
He has since broken into both the Spurs team and the national side and looks to be a shoe in for the World Cup this summer. What’s more is he is proving that he is not just a flavour of the month by performing to a consistent standard on a regular basis.
8. Saido Berahino – West Bromwich Albion
The Burundi-born striker has been a huge hit at the Hawthornes this season and has not just papered the cracks up front in the continued absence of Nicolas Anelka and Shane Long at the beginning of the season, but he has surpassed all expectations by showing a maturity beyond his years and a killer eye for goal.
Another player that Hodgson knows well, he too has been mentioned alongside those fellow hopefuls looking to go to Brazil over the summer.
7. Raheem Sterling – Liverpool
The 19-year-old winger has been starting to show the kind of form that Reds fans had been promised when he signed two years ago, and after a promising debut season last term, in which he showed glimpses of what he can do, he has marched on this time around by taking advantage of Liverpool’s injury concerns to win himself some admirers.
Another player that has broken through into the national set up, he can be sure he will win a truckload more in the coming years if he continues down the same path.
6. Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool
Sterling’s teammate at Liverpool carried with him an exciting reputation when he joined last January despite not being able to capture his best form with Inter Milan. However, some league’s and certain styles of football aren’t set up for some players to showcase what they can do – luckily that doesn’t count for the Premier League in Coutinho’s case.
An intelligent playmaker whose runs are the stuff defender’s nightmares are made of, he will grow in ability as he grows in confidence and will undoubtedly be a regular part of the Selecao in the years to come.
5. Ravel Morrison – West Ham United
Morrison was classed as a no-hoper during his time at Manchester United and few thought that he would be able to make a name for himself in London either.
A short loan spell with Birmingham City last season gave him some hope that there was still time to turn his luck around and this term he has been a revelation in claret & blue, making himself the best player in an incredibly lacklustre side.
That may not sound like much of a compliment, but just 90 minutes spent watching West Ham under Sam Allardyce will make you see that the way he expresses himself is just why he is so highly rated.
4. Ross Barkley – Everton
Barkey has emerged as one of the bight (if not the brightest) hopes for the future of the England national team, and indeed the English game. it is easy to see why too, as his explosive displays have been one of the main reasons why Everton have been performing so well this season and Roberto Martinez’s decision to keep him around the first team so regularly are justified with every week that passes.
Still raw, it is important for Martinez to recognise when to rest him and when to rely on him, for if he can get that balance right the future will look very bright indeed.
3. Christian Eriksen – Tottenham Hotspur
The Danish international came with a hefty weight of expectation on his shoulders when he joined Tottenham over the summer and after a slight wobble at the start he is now beginning to live up to that by showing exactly how much skill he really has.
Already with over 100 appearances for Ajax, and 44 national team caps for Denmark, he has a level of experience that most players his age don’t have and he has used that to his advantage to make his time in the Premier League a successful one.
2. Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea (On loan at Everton)
The young Belgian is a natural goalscorer and has proved it for two seasons now. If only he could get Jose Mourinho to see the same then Chelsea would have an answer to all their goalscoring problems.
Quick, powerful and prolifically clinical in front of goal, he has seen himself overtake compatriot Christian Benteke in the running to lead Belgium’s line at the World Cup this summer.
1. Jack Wilshire – Arsenal
It says a lot about a player when they are entrusted with the captains armband (albeit on a temporary basis) at such a young age after coming back from a serious injury, but that is just the measure of the man and he will no doubt have that armband all to himself in the near future.
Arsenal are much more of a viable threat when Wilshire is in the side and the influence he exerts is massive and a real lift for the fans to have one of their own doing it.
He will be key to any success the side may have over the years.