Ghanaian Kwadwo Poku has been ranked 7th in the Major League Soccer "24 Under 24" list.Â
The annual ranking of the top young players (under 24) was announced after explorations into the latest in youth development in MLS, the United States, and Canada.
Six months ago, almost nobody knew who Kwadwo Poku was. Nowadays, you can often find more than 25,000 New Yorkers chanting his name at Yankee Stadium.
What sets Poku apart is that he has the size and strength usually associated with a No. 9, but is a devastating passer of the ball from anywhere in the attacking third, especially when faced up as a No. 10.
What the technical staffers say: "Still a bit of an enigma in this league. He has some gifts on the ball – if he gets the ball in space and is running at a guy, he can wrong-foot him and hit a shot, but he also has an eye to hit a pass that can make the defense come apart.
"Overall, there’s still some question marks in terms of how connected he is with all the other parts of the game – how aware he is, how alert he is, without the ball and in defense."
What Opta Sports says: Kwadwo Poku averages 2.7 chances created per 90 minutes, most among 24 Under 24-eligible players who have played more than 29 minutes in MLS this season.