Five young English footballers to watch out for

Published on: 19 August 2022

Some of the hottest rising prospects in English football right now.

BBC Sport series, Wonderkidsexternal-link, aims to unearth some of the hottest young prospects in football right now.

The YouTube series, working in collaboration with Rising Ballers, has showcased some very exciting men's and women's talent from clubs around England.

But how are these players doing now?

BBC Sport checked back in to find out how five previously featured ballers are progressing through the ranks in domestic and international football. Some have gone on to make Premier League debuts, won youth tournaments, signed professional contracts and been involved in big-money transfers.

Find out more.

Darko GyabiView more on youtube

BBC Sport first featured 18-year-old midfielder Gyabi in September 2020, when he was part of Manchester's City's academy. After being part of the young City squad that won the Premier League 2 trophy last season, Gyabi earned a transfer to Leeds United in July, for a fee reportedexternal-link to be around £5m.

With Kalvin Phillips heading in the opposite direction down the M62, there could be an opportunity for the youngster to get quite involved at Leeds.

Gyabi operates in different areas of the midfield and has 12 caps for England at youth level. After coming to the UK from Ghana with his mother, he grew up in South London and was previously at Millwall's academy.

Jorja FoxView more on youtube

Jorja Fox appeared on the Wonderkids series in January 2021, when she smashed the free-kick, obstacle and penalty challenges.

Fox, 18, joined Chelsea's academy aged eight and plays as a full-back. She made her senior debut for Emma Hayes' team in a 4-0 victory away at Aston Villa in January 2021 and signed her first professional contract with the Blues in August 2021, on the day that she turned 18.

Last November, she was included on the bench for Chelsea's Champions League squad as they faced Servette.

Fox is currently on loan at Charlton Athletic and was part of the England squad for the 2022 Uefa Women's Under-19 European Championships.

Will AlvesView more on youtube

Leicester City's academy product Will Alves showed off his super-fast feet when he appeared on Wonderkids in September 2020. Presenter Gaffer Maz even commented that the midfielder reminded him of Eden Hazard.

Alves has been making strides at Leicester since then. In January, his hard work was rewarded by manager Brendan Rodgers with a first team debut, as he came on towards the end of 4-1 victory over Watford in the FA Cup third round.

Rodgers was reportedexternal-link to have warned Alves for trying to dance around players too much, saying, "have less touches or you're coming off". He did reportedly add though that he, "loved the youthful spirit" that he brought to the game, saying: "it was just joy."

Jude Soonsup-BellView more on youtube

Soonsup-Bell took the Wonderkids challenge in December 2020 and showed why he's a born goalscorer, with a top bins free-kick.

The 18-year-old has been part of Chelsea's youth set-up since he joined aged 12, having been scouted from Swindon Town. Soonsup-Bell first joined the Blues as a midfielder, but was quickly developed into a forward because of his attacking ability.

During the past year, he has really established himself at Chelsea. In December, Soonsup-Bell made his debut for the first team, starting in attack in a 2-0 win over Brentford in the Carabao Cup.

He signed his first professional contract with the club in January. In May, Soonsup-Bell scored the winnerexternal-link in the Under-18s Premier League Cup final against Fulham.

Bobby ClarkView more on youtube

Young forward Bobby Clark was ripping it up at Newcastle United's academy when he appeared on Wonderkids in September 2020. He impressed Gaffer Maz with his fast footwork and his eye for a top bin.

Since then, the 17-year-old, who is the son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, has gone on to make a move to Liverpool, playing with the under-18s squad. He scored on his debut, in a 3-3 draw with Nottingham Forest, signed his first professional contract for the Reds in February and ended 2021-22 with 13 goals in all competitions.

He was also included in the squad in Liverpool's first home game of the 2022-23 campaign, against Crystal Palace. Not bad.

Source: bbc.com

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