Ten young footballers to watch out for in 2016

Josh Onomah, 18, Tottenham Hotspur, midfielder

Mauricio Pochettino is not always given to effusiveness, so it caught the attention when he spoke almost evangelically about one of Tottenham’s young prospects in December. “He is a special boy, a special player,” said Pochettino of Onomah, who had just made his first start in a Europa League win over Monaco. The locally-born Onomah can play in a number of midfield positions and his blend of speed, power and vision certainly bodes well. Pochettino gives youngsters more chances than most and has already entrusted him with substitute appearances in tight, tense games such as November’s north London derby against Arsenal. A repeat of Dele Alli’s recent breakthrough is not an outlandish idea.

Mason Holgate , 19, Everton, right-back

Holgate’s £2m move from League One side Barnsley drew inevitable comparisons to John Stones, who trod the same path in 2013. The fact that Holgate, like Stones, has begun his career as a right-back adds to the likeness but the 19-year-old is very much his own man. In 22 appearances for Barnsley, Holgate showed himself to be an outstanding athlete with composure well beyond his years. Everton moved quickly to sign him on a five-year contract ahead of Bournemouth and, while early moves to the Premier League do not always benefit young players, Stones’ meteoric rise has set the blueprint for his fellow Oakwell alumnus to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Zach Clough, 20, Bolton Wanderers, forward

The winning bidder for Clough – who seems likely to leave Bolton sooner rather than later – will almost certainly have landed a bargain. Clough, a product of the Trotters’ academy, burst onto the scene last season with six goals in 10 appearances and is now fully fit after shoulder surgery sidelined him for three months of this campaign. A natural finisher with strength that belies his diminutive frame, Clough signed a new three-year contract in October but could move on this winter. Manchester United were linked with him last summer but his more immediate use may be as a must-have accessory for a Championship promotion contender looking to push over the line.

Adam Armstrong, 18, Coventry City (on loan from Newcastle United), forward

Newcastle supporters barely know what to make of Armstrong’s half-season at Coventry. On the one hand, it augurs splendidly that he can take League One by storm, scoring 13 times by Christmas; on the other, don’t Steve McClaren’s strugglers need someone with exactly that happy knack right now? For the moment, Armstrong is probably in the best place – Tony Mowbray’s upwardly-mobile Sky Blues are playing some vibrant football and Armstrong, a lethal finisher, is improving rapidly at the Ricoh Arena. The fear is that Newcastle may not be able to offer him Premier League football upon his return.

Martin Samuelsen, 18, Peterborough (on loan from West Ham), forward

The fanfare surrounding Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard may have deflected attention from a Norwegian with an equally big future. Samuelsen joined West Ham after being released by Manchester City last year and, even if their co-chairman David Gold’s tweet that “It’s possible he could be as good as Sir Trevor Brooking” was not entirely helpful, the signs are exciting. His early form during a loan spell in League One with Peterborough has been outstanding, and his first senior goal – a thrilling mixture of close control, footwork and composure at Sheffield United this month – has already made him a minor YouTube hit. Whether or not he quite lives up to Gold’s billing, there will surely be more to come.

Ben Kennedy, 19, Stevenage, forward

Teddy Sheringham knows a thing or two about second strikers, so you are inclined to listen when the Stevenage manager says Kennedy could enter the reckoning for a place in Northern Ireland’s Euro 2016 squad this summer. The deep-lying forward has already captained his country’s under-19s side and, after scoring four times for the League Two club in their run to the play-offs last season, has returned from hip surgery to figure prominently again. “He’s an intelligent player, a very clever player,” says Sheringham of Kennedy, and you suspect that, at least until bigger clubs begin circling, player and coach are perfectly suited to one another.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 20, Lazio, midfielder

Serbia’s senior team may be strife-ridden but the depth of talent coming through is extraordinary. Their Under-20s won last year’s World Cup and the driving force in midfield was Milinkovic-Savic, a dominant figure at nearly 6ft 4in whose size merely augments his ability to shine as a multifaceted, technically superb playmaker. Lazio recognised his promise, signing him from Genk in July for an estimated €9m, and his performances have been a rare beacon in a sluggish first half of the season from the Serie A club. An expensive move to a Champions League team would be a natural progression for Milinkovic-Savic, whose younger brother Vanja, a goalkeeper, had a short spell with Manchester United.

Kingsley Coman, 19, Bayern Munich, forward

Coman has certainly done the rounds in his short career. The 19-year-old winger was Paris Saint-Germain’s youngest ever outfield player when he made his debut in February 2013; he moved to Juventus the following year and now, a quarter of the way through a two-year loan at Bayern Munich, is progressing quickly in Bavaria. Injuries to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry have given him chances to impress and he has taken them, scoring four times by December and making six assists. A place in the France squad has resulted and Coman, who Bayern are likely to sign for €21m next year, could emulate Thierry Henry in shooting to global prominence on home soil this summer.

Kenedy, 19, Chelsea, forward

More than a few journalists had to double-check their teamsheets two months ago when Kenedy, a 19-year-old winger signed from Fluminense in the summer, was named at left-back for what – at the time – seemed a pivotal match in José Mourinho’s managerial career. Chelsea kept a clean sheet against Norwich and Kenedy handled the pressure on his first start with laudable cool. His future probably still lies further forward, and he has impressed with some lively appearances from the bench; it says plenty that, while Chelsea road-test most of their better youngsters at partner club Vitesse Arnhem, the rangy Brazil Under-20s player appears to be staying firmly put.

Jonathan Tah, 19, Bayer Leverkusen, defender

Bayern Munich are not the only Bundesliga club capable of signing their rivals’ prize assets. Tah had been linked with several Premier League clubs after coming through with Hamburg but the Germany Under-19 captain eventually joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for around £7m. Leverkusen have a remarkable player on their hands: the 6ft 4in Tah has established himself in their defence and performed maturely throughout their Champions League campaign. Few opponents win a physical tussle with Tah and there are not many better at playing from the back either. Nobody in Germany played more minutes than Tah (2,520) in the first half of this season; he would cost his English suitors a pretty penny now.