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His club legend status grew in his first season as manager, as he led his former club to the treble. This was the start of a trophy packed 4 years at the club before he moved overseas to manage Bayern Munich.

Since breaking into the team at 18 years old, Iniesta has been an integral part of the team ever since. Becoming one of the first names on the team sheet and forming a formidable partnership fellow La Masia graduates Xavi and Busquets.

Iniesta came runner up to team mate Lionel Messi, with Xavi finishing 3rd. Often referred to as the embodiment of tiki-taka football, he has been the pioneer of both FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team success over the past 15 years.

Number 1 — Lionel Messi There could only be one winner, and his story is still not complete. As a child, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency with experts claiming he would not grow taller than 4 ft 9 in.

Messi progressed speedily through the ranks and made his first team debut aged only 17 years old. After a few injury prone season early on in his career, Messi soon became arguably the best player in the world and perhaps of all time.

Check out the current crop of FC Barcelona youth team players. The question is why has the talent slowed up from La Masia?

On the one hand, this extremely talented group of home produced players have won countless trophies and reinvented the way football should be played.

However…The level at which the team has performed and the quality of players La Masia produced has: Set an incredibly high standard at the club Increased the expectancy of the fans week in week out Created a blueprint for other major La Liga and European clubs to follow In some ways improving the standards and expectancy at a club may ensure that performance levels of the youth players are elevated.

In the second one, under the orders of Marcelino, he helped the team return to the Champions League. In he signed for Brighton in the Premier League.

As a Barcelona player, although he never became a regular, he was part of the squad that won the and league titles, the Copa del Rey he started in the final and the treble.

He was called up by Guardiola to play against Atletico in February , but he didn't make his debut.

He left Barcelona and joined Valencia's academy. Also spent time at Atletico Levante and Romanian club Sepsi before signing for Lleida and has since joined Llagostera.

One of the most sought after right-backs in the world, and first-choice in the position at Arsenal, a club he joined after leaving Barcelona at 16 years old.

After a brief stint at Watford on loan, he returned to join the Gunners' first team. He went to the European Championship after the injury to Carvajal, although he didn't play a single minute.

Another player who has settled in LaLiga Santander. He debuted with the Barcelona first team in the Estadio Vicente Calderon under the orders of Guardiola, and at 19 years of age.

Although he never got a fixed position in the starting lineup, he participated in five league triumphs, two Champions League title wins and two Copa del Reys.

Between Pique, Puyol and Mascherano, they closed the door to him and he ended up at Borussia Dortmund where he won the German cup. Now he is the 'boss' of Betis' defence.

Made his debut with at Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup in , in which the Blaugrana lost against Sevilla.

In the return, without Sergi Gomez, Barcelona won In the summer of he signed for Celta, where he played for four seasons.

In he joined Sevilla, taking another step in his career. He was the first Spanish player to win MLS. He did it with Sporting Kansas City, the first team he played at when he left the lower categories of Barcelona.

He left Barcelona's academy to sign for Fulham, a team with which he made his debut in the Premier League at 19 years of age.

He only played one game, though. Then he signed for Cordoba and ended up debuting in LaLiga Santander he played 14 matches in the Spanish top flight.

Now he is playing his fifth consecutive season in the Segunda Division, the first two were for Mallorca and the last three at Lugo.

An international at U16, U17 and U18 level with Spain. In the following campaign, he signed for Celta B, where he spent three seasons and then joined Atletico Levante in the same division.

Left the lower categories of Barcelona to join the Nottingham Forest academy. Left Barcelona's academy to join the Juventus academy.

At Juve he had pre-season with the first-team and even scored a great goal from midfield in the International Champions Cup. He left the Italians on loan to Lausanne-Sport and then went on a free transfer to Nastic, where he debuted in the Segunda Division at Loaned to Betis B, he then arrived on a free at Villarreal B in In the following campaign he played six league matches and several more in other competitions.

From there, he joined Celta for a million euros and played for the Galicians for five seasons. In the first two he was indisputable but then he lost importance.

Was captain of the U19A side. In August , at the age of 19, he signed for Liverpool and has since joined Vorskla Poltava. He is constantly picked for the youth categories of the Spanish national team.

One of the most promising defenders of his time, but injuries slowed his progression. The match was notable for his sending off not long after he'd joined the action as substitute, a decision from the officials which greatly angered Guardiola.

In the summer of , during preseason with the first team, he snapped his knee ligaments. At the end of that season he joined Stoke City on a free transfer, where he spent four seasons and played 57 matches in the Premier League.

He played on loan at Girona and during the summer of the Catalan club bought him for five million euros but then he moved on to Qatar.

European U21 champion in , although he only played 10 minutes of that tournament. He left the youth categories of Barcelona after playing for the U19A side, joining Braga's academy on a free, but only playing one game in half a season there.

CSKA Sofia were his next port of call but he didn't play a single minute. In the summer of he signed for Valladolid B played two matches in the Segunda Division and one in the Copa Del Rey with the first team , then he joined Granada B in the summer of Currently part of the Portuguese Under national team, he debuted for the Portuguese Under national team in April and within 5 months he had debuted and got promoted to the Unders and Unders.

All in all, he has scored 12 goals in 20 appearances for the Portugal youth teams, currently standing at 4 goals in 9 appearances for Portugal Unders.

The complete forward is cm tall and is as great in aerial situations as on the ground as due to his strength his great at holding up play — acting like a target man or deep-lying forward.

Besides hosting a great finish, his off the ball movements can quickly tear the opposition apart, either they are done with or without the ball.

The Portuguese wonderkid, in the mould of Adama Traore body, build wise must be the opposite markers nightmare.

It must be fun being Lars Ricken these days! Promoted from the under team at the first of July, becoming one of the youngest Under squad members, Pharell Nnamdi Collins rise to international fame has just begun!

This season he completed 4 goals and 1 assist in 21 appearances. His incredible acceleration and pace, great physic and composure with the ball has made an impression on me.

His abilities to regain possession quickly and efficient by utilizing his acceleration to get ahead of the situation rather than tackle has drawn similarities to Virgil van Dijk.

With vision and great passing technique, the defender is able to play out from the back or bring the ball out if needed to create space. Rated highly at Dortmund and by Lars Ricken, wonderkid Nnamdi Collins has been making some impressing performances at the heart of the Dortmund defence.

Securing a professional contract earlier this year, Dortmund have managed to keep hold off one incredible talent within the Dortmund Academy with the promise of having clear pathway to the first team in the future.

Juventus confirmed the signing of Samuel Iling August 31th when his contract ran out with Chelsea..

But in recent years, Chelsea have become a valid competitor. This season a total of eight homegrown players coming through the Chelsea Academy have been given their first team debut.

With their extensive scouting network and longstanding recruitment policy of poaching youth around the world, Chelsea has managed to become one of the best youth teams in England.

The latter was recently poached from Finland, as the Blues continues their attention to look at Scandinavia for promising talents. Born in October , and not eligible to sign a professional contract until that point, Juventus, PSG, Bayern Munich and Ajax have all raced for the signature of highly-rated youngster Samuel Iling since the pandemic came about, with the former in pole position to secure his signature.

A traditional winger or wide midfielder, who thrives at setting up others in goalscoring position, the current England Under international has recorded 1 assist in eight U18 Premier League matches as well as 78 minutes of action in the UEFA Youth League.

The lack of goals compared to Jadon Sancho at the age of 16, who managed 12 goals in 14 appearances in the U18 Premier League, elaborates that Iling got much to work on in the final third, but with the ball at his feet he possesses the necessary skills to get to the byline by taking on opposite markers in one on one situations with his immense acceleration, great dribbles and technique.

Football Manager can promise a host of incredible German wonderkids as DFB changed their regulations regarding minors as the age limit for professional contracts are lowered to sixteen.

Torben Rhein can be described as a highly versatile midfield playmaker. Standing out for his sublime vision and magnificent through balls Bayerns number 8 draws similarities to Kevin De Bruyne pinpointing passes vertically, diagonally, from free-kicks or from one side of the pitch to another.

His carefully weighted passes, who for a novice looks so simple, makes Rhein an important player for any sides.

Focusing on poaching promising talents from major clubs around Europe, such as the renown La Masia Academy, Ajax, Monaco as well as young prospects from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

The next Manchester United wonderkid made his UEFA Youth League debut at the age of 14 and days and is used to playing against boys older than himself.

The teenage phenomenon is currently part of the Man Utd Under side creating 3 assists in 13 appearances. The highlight of his career came in the 6th round of the FA Youth Cup scoring a wonderful goal against Wigan.

With an immense technique, close control, agility and amazing dribbles, Shola Shoretire might become a future replacement for Anthony Martial.

His incredible abilities to come out superior in one on one situations with great agility and flair has made an huge impression on me.

The highly unpredictable winger has also the capability to play as an attacking midfielder feeding the strikers by using his great vision and passing technique.

Often attracting the opposite markers as flees, Shola draws them upon himself creating the necessity space for his teammates to lavish in.