It has become something of a given that Arsenal will produce some new young starlet every season. The famed Hale End academy that has produced Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, Jack Wilshere, Alex Song and numerous others has been complimented by the signing of young talent from elsewhere to make it truly one of the most formidable academies in the world. We all know about the latest crop of youngsters to come out such as Frimpong and Wilshere but here we’re going to take a look at the next in line.

Chuks Aneke

Aneke, of Nigerian descent but playing for England at youth level, signed for Arsenal in 2001 aged just seven years old. However after impressing for Arsenal’s youth and reserved sides Barcelona attempted to poach both Chuks Aneke and Benik Afobe from the North London Club. Both Arsenal youngsters were invited to Barcelona’s training camp in 2009 but both decided that Arsenal was where their futures lay. Aneke is a powerful central midfielder who has recently been likened to Yaya Toure by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

Aneke’s early form for the Gunners’ reserve team has been turning heads and he told the Arsenal website: “I’m feeling good so far this season. I’m optimistic that this will be a big year for me. I intend to produce good things on the field and show people how good I am, and so far I think I’ve done ok…I’ve played three times for the Reserves and been in decent form – scoring a couple of goals and playing pretty well. So overall I’m happy and want to push on from here”

Aneke, who made his debut in the Carling Cup this season, is now thought to be heading out on loan with a host of Premier League clubs interested in taking the youngster. Many Arsenal fans lament the loss of former captain Patrick Vieira who was arguably the complete midfielder – able combine defensive solidity with attacking prowess. With Aneke Arsenal fans will be hoping that finally they have produced a player in a similar mould.

Benik Afobe

Benik, the other player to be approached by Barcelona, is a powerful striker for the gunners who has formed a powerful on field relationship with midfielder Aneke. Afobe was on loan at Huddersfield last season and helped the Terriers reach the League One play-off final. The speedy striker scored eight times in thirty six appearances for the Northern club and continued his good form at international level too as he was part of the under-17 team that won the 2011 European Championships. He was also named player of the tournament after scoring four goals and notching up three assists.

Afobe is a powerful out and out striker with deadly finishing and pace to match, the type of striker that Arsenal have not had since Adebayor left. Despite the success of the Arsenal academy the one thing they have so far failed to produce is a truly world class striker. Maybe Afobe is about to change that…

Reice Charles-Cook

To put a spin on an old cliché: goalkeepers at Arsenal are like buses; they never turn up when you need one and then suddenly three come at once. Whilst Szczesny has established himself in the first team and young Argentine goalkeeper Damian Martinez is getting stronger by the day you could be forgiven for forgetting about Arsenal’s latest youth team keeper Reice Charles-Cook. Nephew to James Cook MBE, a former British and European super-middleweight boxing champion, Reice shares the reflexes and presence of his uncle.

Described as an exceptional shot stopper with a firm command of his area the young goalkeeper, at just seventeen years of age, may have a long way to go before he can even think about breaking into the first team. However the improvements noted in him in the past years have been vast and his reputation at the club is growing as fast as his talent.

Most Arsenal fans would say that they are extremely happy with their current goalkeeper but there’s nothing like competition to get the best out of your players.

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You only have to look at the way Manchester United have started this season to recognise the impact great young players can have on a team. However, not all are good enough to play straight away in the first team. Perhaps they are better off in staying at their first club for a little bit longer before making their big move.

Spurs youngster John Bostock could well fall into this category. Since making his move from Crystal Palace in 2008, the 19-year-old has struggled to make an impact. He hasn’t made a single league appearance for Spurs. He has had loan spells at Hull City and Brentford. It’s easy to say now but in hindsight, he would have been much better off to stay at Crystal Palace for a few more years to continue his development.

Playing with Palace would have given him grounding and a much better chance of playing first team football. Although it’s very hard to turn down the overtures of a club like Spurs, there is a lot to be gained out of playing regular first team football at a young age. There’s the experience you gain from it and also the more somebody plays, the more he will grow in confidence.

Had Bostock been playing consistent first team football for the past three years, barring any injury he might have picked up, he would have arguably developed much more than he has at Spurs. The proof will come in how long it takes for his career to launch from here, if it all.

The short term gains of a move will always be much more prominent in the mind of a young player. For example, by leaving for a bigger club, they will earn more money and their profile as a player will be raised significantly. There is also the opportunity to work with better players and potentially better coaching staff. The standard of facilities would also feature somewhere in a player’s thoughts. From the clubs point of view, they will want to integrate into their way of playing as soon as possible. Look at the style possessed by all of the players who come out of Barcelona’s La Masia.

You have to wonder whether it is worth players moving from the perceived smaller club when in all likelihood they will just get sent out on loan or play reserve team football. Players would be much better off playing in competitive lower leagues with their club. The Championship and League One are good platforms for a young player to excel.

Perhaps it is now the modern way to move when you’re young to give you more time to progress at your next club. However, Connor Wickham is a player who made a big move this summer to the Premier League. He might well have benefited from another year in the Football League.

Wickham has made an inauspicious start to his career on Wearside. At the age of 18, he would surely have been better off continuing to learn his trade in the Championship, a league where he scored 13 goals in 65 appearances in total. That is not the greatest record for a striker but who’s to say he wouldn’t have improved that this season with Ipswich. Instead he moves to Sunderland for £8 million and expected to be one of their main goal scoring outlets. The pressure on him will only increase with the departure of Asamoah Gyan to the UAE.

It begs the question whether players are being advised by the right people. Agents don’t seem to have the best interests of their client’s playing career at hand. They seem to focus on what will make the most financial sense to them and the player. There is no doubt that Connor Wickham will earn significantly more at Sunderland this year then he would have at Ipswich. It might not have hurt him so much to say he’d like to stay at Ipswich for another season to develop further.

Maybe there is a fear factor for players like Wickham. If they turn down the move now, will they ever get the chance again? That comes down to how confident they are in their ability. The more confident players are able to turn down the overtures in the knowledge they will continue to impress.

It’s not necessarily the same with young players abroad. Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gӧtze has already signalled his intentions that he wants to stay in Germany for another year. Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp who has manufactured a team with many great young prospects, that cannot be a bad thing for Gӧtze.

It is understandable how players see the bright lights of clubs like Manchester United and immediately want to join them. However, in terms of a player’s career, they would perhaps be better off to stick it out at their club for a little while longer, learning their trade and playing regularly even if it is at a lower level.

Yes, he is yet another Brazilian tipped to be a world star. Yes, he wears the infamous number 10 shirt of Santos and now Brazil. And yes, the name he is now commonly known by has no relevance to his actual real name. Meet Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima, sorry the Goose, or Ganso to me and you.

Paulo, sorry Ganso, was born in Ananindeua, Pará on the 12th October 1989. He was spotted by former Brazilian international Giovanni whilst he was a youngster – playing futsal as most Brazilian children do, honing their skills in an attempt to replicate their idols and hopefully make the big time. He joined Tuna Luso, then Paysandu by the age of 15. Not long after his talent began to show he was snapped up by Santos’ youth setup, again on the recommendation of Giovanni in 2005.

By 2007 he had played in Brazil’s under-20 national tournament, where his abilities started to be noticed by a wider audience as youth team experts from around the globe started to take note. The youth team gave a poor showing, losing at the quarter-final stages, however Ganso did more than enough to enhance his reputation and in 2008 he was promoted to the Santos senior squad, armed with a 5-year contract. He made his senior league debut in February that year but only managed 7 games, as he had trouble adapting to the more defensive-minded, burly hustle and bustle of the senior game.

It took a new manager, Dorival Junior, who brought with him a change of playing philosophy, for Ganso to be given another opportunity. This time he didn’t let it slip, making himself indispensible to the club’s style of play in an exciting new attacking 4-3-3 line-up which saw him team-up with fellow youth phenomenon Neymar and earning the famous number 10 shirt. Of course, at Santos the number 10 shirt holds even more significance, as it was made famous by their most favourite son, Pele.

As with his club, a change of manager at national level saw Ganso immediately called up to represent ‘La Selecao’, placing the revered number 10 jersey on his back. Just like at his club, the fit seemed perfect as he starred in his international debut – a friendly versus the USA, a performance so fine that many now consider him an automatic first choice. However, with everything coming together for Ganso disaster struck as he suffered a terrible knee injury that kept him sidelined for 6 months, which left him a major doubt for the Cope America.

Ganso plays the classic number 10 role to perfection at Santos. Staying mostly central, the midfielder involves himself and directs attacking play with his quick-thinking – so much so that it has led to a nickname of ‘the chess player’. Tall (standing at 1.84m/over 6ft) and elegant, he is strong in possession, very gifted technically and has sublime vision- key attributes for any midfield playmaker. These latter two attributes often combine to supply a killer pass to team-mates – Neymar a particular benefactor. Indeed, it is his club and international colleague who has labelled him the ‘left-footed Zidane’. A fine comparison, as his repertoire of tricks also include the ‘roulette’ spin – something that the great Frenchman perfected in busy midfield areas to create space and leave markers trailing.

Ganso returned from injury in June and was able to participate in the Copa Libertadores final, helping Santos secure their third title, and just making the cut to be included in Brazil’s Copa America squad. But there will be question marks regarding his fitness, and whether he can make the step-up in what will be his first senior international tournament.

With many clubs watching, in particular AC Milan who have been tracking Ganso for a while and are rumoured to be ready to secure his signature in the near future, the pressure is on for the latest in a long line of Brazilian number 10 stars.

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Nathan Redmond is a name that most football fans will not be familiar with, that is of course unless you tuned into Birmingham’s rather tedious Carling Cup fixture against Rochdale last month, but having represented England at youth level, the winger could well be a star in the making.

At 16 years and 173 days, he became the club’s second youngest player in the clubs history when he appeared in the Carling Cup as a substitute for the last 12 minutes and even in that short space of time you could see why club and country hold him in such high regard.

His electric pace coupled with his dribbling ability were the boldest brushstrokes in his portrayal that evening and although he was pitted against lesser opposition his lack of fear was refreshing.

He darted in from the left flank to fire a 25-yard effort just wide whilst the threat he posed never looked like subsiding – his raw talent suggesting that the future is bright.

His only previous threat of emergence came when he was put on the bench against Everton towards the end of last season with Blues boss Alex McLeish believing it would be the right thing to give him a taste of first team action in order to preserve his appetite for breaking through the academy system.

McLeish said: “Terry Westley has been here a few years now and unfortunately, at youth level, it’s not an overnight job,” McLeish said. “Sometimes it can take a fair time to get the right players through.”

“If you look at Ajax and their famed Academy, the owners always felt the position of the youth coach was more important than the first team coach, because the first team coaches kind of came and went.

“But the youth coach was getting very long contracts, providing he was good enough and had the ability, because it takes a few years for kids to come through, certainly to get the right crop.”

And Blues fans will certainly be hoping to see more from Redmond when Blues have games sewn up this season, as they have not seen a youth product since the days of now Fulham striker Andy Johnson and arguably Darren Carter.

If Saturday afternoon against Everton was anything to go by, it would offer a delightful reprieve from seeing a seemingly clueless Keith Fahey ambling around the St Andrews pitch.

Nick Powell is the latest player to be linked with a Premier League raid after impressing Arsene Wenger’s scouting network whilst playing for England under 16’s in a tournament in France and he is being hotly tipped to become a star.

But just who is he?

Well, born on 23^rd March 1994, he is a midfielder that can also play as a striker and he signed scholarship forms at Crewe in 2010 after progressing through the ranks as a small boy. He took part in under-18 football at the tender of 15 having be recognised as a super talent by Dario Gradi and his team whilst his first taste of first-team action was as a substitute against newly-promoted Blackpool earlier in pre-season. His youth coaches described his talent as being “limitless” in terms of where it can take him in the game and he made his full debut against Cheltenham Town in August.

The 16-year-old has already been the subject of a £1million bid from Arsenal, according to the News of the World, but Crewe’s veteran boss Dario Gradi is holding out for more, having tied Powell down to a three year deal at the club.

He said: “We have to deal with speculation when they are coming through, and in many ways we do treat it as a compliment. Our academy youngsters are not for sale at any price.”

Gradi continued: “It was the same when Arsenal asked about Dean Ashton [who made his debut for Crewe as a 16-year-old in 2000]. David Dein [former Arsenal vice-chairman] phoned me and said there must be a price I would be prepared to sell him for, and I told him there wasn’t. There was no point even discussing it and he accepted that.”

Offical Under 17 Match Higlights – England 3-1 Portugal

And such a desire to keep him, coupled with the interest of Arsenal at such a young age is a clear indicator of his talents. Gradi is keen to keep hold of the academy products and said he just wants what is best “for the kid” and that they want to keep “good players for their own supporters”.

But should Powell continue to develop and eventually join a top club, Crewe must be lavished with praise for their tremendous work with their youth setup that has instigated some fantastic that are still going today whilst admitting that eventually being nurtured by Arsenal and playing among some of the finest starlets from across Europe will benefit the player.

The Tykes romped to a 5-2 victory at Oakwell to move just outside the play-off places and into seventh, as winger Hammill took United to pieces. The quick and skillful 22-year-old had a hand in all five goals and was given a ringing endorsement from his manager Mark Robins after the game, who tipped him to become a future Premier League star.

“He has everything in his locker; he just needs the guile and the know-how. He needs that type of thing in his game and he’ll be heading off to the Premier League,” revealed Robins.

Hammill has been impressive for Barnsley since making a previous loan move permanent last summer. The highly-rated youngster was a member of the Liverpool 2006 FA Youth Cup winning side but ultimately failed to break into the Reds first-team squad after graduating from the club’s academy. He was then loaned out to gain first-team experience and had spells at Dunfermline, Southampton and Blackpool, before he was picked up by the now departed Simon Davey at Barnsley.

The exciting left-winger unsettles defenders with his dribbling ability and also has the capacity to score some truly stupendous goals. Hammill was awarded the club’s Young Player of the Season award in his first permanent full season with the Reds, as well as picking up the Goal of the Season award in the last campaign.

Premier League trio West Brom, Blackpool and Bolton are all expected to fight for the player’s services in the January transfer window and these clubs would give Hammill the opportunity to develop further. Competition will be fierce in the Premier League however and Hammill would be wise to continue his development under Robins at Barnsley for a few more years.

Despite his impressive form and potential transfer to the Premier League, I do not think Liverpool will regret selling Hammill. The club’s youth and reserve side are now packed with players of star potential and it is difficult to see Hammill commanding a place ahead of exciting talents such as Suso, Daniel Pacheco, Danny Wilson and Jay Spearing. The Reds may have got a higher fee for the player had they loaned him out for another spell before selling, although Hammill has obviously benefited from a permanent move and fresh start in South Yorkshire.

Hammill is said to have a clause in his contract allowing him to return to the Premier League for as little as £500,000 and could prove to be a real bargain should a club decide to take a risk on the rising star.

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The senior team may not be everyone’s drink of Irn Bru in Scotland, but the Under 21’s could get the ball rolling in the Tartan Army’s favour, to end the series of hopelessly, repetitive post- enquiries of the state of the country’s game.
Billy Starks’ team have reached the play offs, where they stand on the verge of qualifying for the Under 21 Championships for the first time since 1996, if they overcome Iceland over two legs.

Though the real test is still come, this suggests to me that this particular group of young footballers are a new hope for the country, particularly as it has been so long since the Under 21’s were in a championship.

The 2-1 victory over Austria last week at Pittodrie which sealed their passage to the play offs was a fine display. Both Barry Bannan and Chris Maguire’s goals could be labelled as screamers and were struck superbly. The passing play from Scotland too, certainly in contrast to their senior counterparts, was another bonus point. David Goodwillie playing up front alongside Maguire, displayed a fine accuracy of passing and touch ability, and Paul Coutts, a tenacious midfielder from Preston North End produced hard graft, and good awareness.

When you consider the clear lack of basic passing ability at Hampden just a few hours later, you can see why even one of the simplest attributes in football is something worth celebrating for Scotland.

In terms of footballers, Scotland as a country, have produced players who have had fantastic potential early on but were never able to fulfil it later on in their careers. This has happened predominately over the last twenty years with players such as Eoin Jess, Stephen Glass and Derek Riordan to name a few of a very long list of those who never made the step up. From the last Under 21 squad to reach a European Championship back in 1996, only four players, Simon Donnelly, Steven Pressley, Christian Dailly and Jackie McNamara were all capped at senior team level. What is going to make this current group of youngsters any different?

One current argument can be drawn. What message does it serve to the Under 21 squad, if the senior manager, Craig Levein is picking his teams compromising of defensive formations, with strength and stamina played out over flair and technique?

I can relate with several of the footballers in the squad particularly by age and generation, but like any job or career, it will be their decisions and mental ability that will impact upon the rest of their careers. Will they be any different from the ones in the past?

Dundee United striker, David Goodwillie at the age of 21 already has a Scottish Cup medal to his name and looks like a good prediction to advance to senior level. Despite having a poor start to the season, and not being a prolific goal scorer, his technique and passing vision won him the SPL Young Player of the Year last season, and he certainly puts Kris Boyd to shame.

Midfielder, Paul Coutts has already learnt the hard way and worked his way up. Released by Aberdeen at an early age, he went into the flux of non league football joining Cove Rangers in the Highland League. He was then invited to a trial by Peterborough United in English League 1 where he won a contract after impressing with his ball control. After two years at the club, he joined Preston North End earlier this year where he has arguably been one of the club’s better players in a dismal start to the season in the English Championship.

Danny Wilson and Barry Bannan, are both players at English Premiership clubs, and while they can learn from some of the best in the business, there is no substitute for regular first team football. Wilson moved to Liverpool this summer after just one season at Rangers where he was elevated into the first team, winning the domestic league and cup double. Bannan has already shown glimpses of potential at Aston Villa where he scored in a 1-1 draw in the Europa League away against Rapid Vienna, and with his clubs shaky start to the season, will be hoping to impress new manager Gerard Houllier.

These examples of players mentioned may not seem outstanding compared to the stars that Germany and Spain constantly produce but it has been these combination of particular footballers that has elevated Scotland to this crucial stage.

The opposition however are no mean feat. Iceland, despite what many considered the best draw for Scotland, had an outstanding qualifying campaign. Their personal highlights en route to the play off included thrashing Germany 4-1 at home and drawing 2-2 away. They also trashed Northern Ireland 6-2 away and top this off, notched 8-0 and 11-0 wins over the group’s minnows, San Marino. Scared yet? They were the highest goalscorers in qualifying.

Elimination against Iceland however will not be tolerated by Scotland, and though it has been refreshing to see the next generation of footballers achieve some success, in the wave of doom and gloom, this two legged series next month in October, will go some way to deciding their careers.

This week, our ‘England star in the making’ profiles Arsenal and England U-19 striker Benik Afobe.

Afobe is highly rated at Arsenal and it is easy to see why. The 17 year old joined the club’s academy as an 8 year old and has been hugely prolific in his time at the club. He made his debut for Arsenal’s U-16s at the tender age of 13 but it was three years ago that the young striker underlined his goalscoring potential when he bagged an incredible 40 goals in 33 appearances for Steve Gatting’s side. His impressive haul of 120 goals for the U-16 side prompted U-18 boss Steve Bould to give Afobe his U-18 debut against Fulham in October 2008; a debut in which the youngster came off the bench and equalised with a bullet header to secure a point. Afobe repeated the trick in his FA Youth Cup debut against Sunderland when he came off the bench to net in a 4-0 victory against the Black Cats (both goals can be seen in the following compilation video).

His goalscoring exploits were not confined to domestic competition as Afobe was instrumental in the England U-16 team’s triumph in the 2008 Victory Shield Tournament. The tournament saw Afobe match Michael Owen’s record of 4 goals in the annual tournament with a sumptuous display of finishing. He showed his goalscoring instincts with his brace against Northern Ireland. His first goal was a reaction to an errant back pass from the Northern Ireland defence which Afobe pounced on and finished with aplomb. His second was similarly instinctive as he swivelled on a loose ball to fire past the goalkeeper.

Afobe completed his record-equalling tally in the final against Scotland where he showed his aerial prowess when he powered in the opening goal of the game from an England corner (which can be seen halfway through the first video).

His performances with England earned Afobe a reserve team debut at the age of 16 years 4 days, making him the youngest player ever to feature for the Gunner’s reserve side, beating Jack Wilshere’s previous record. Afobe went on to make one more substitute appearance for the reserve team while featuring more regularly for the U-18s where he managed 12 goals for Steve Bould’s side.

The summer of 2009 saw the talented youngster reject interest from Barcelona to sign professional terms with the Gunners. Barcelona’s loss was to be Arsenal’s gain as last season was Afobe’s best for the U-18 side. He was named Under-18s Player of the Year after finding the net 20 times, including a hat-trick in the Academy League Final as Arsenal clinched the FA Premier Academy League Title for the second year in succession.

Domestic success was followed by international success as Afobe was part of John Peacock’s U-17 team which secured victory at this summer’s UEFA European U-17 Tournament in Liechtenstein.

Next season will likely see Afobe being given a more regular berth in the reserve team in order to aid his development into a future starter for the Gunners. As evidenced by his goalscoring tallies, Afobe is certainly a player with a deadly eye for goal but other areas of his game need improving if he is to reach the very top. Fortunately for the youngster, he is at the perfect club for him to nurture his undoubted talent and hopefully become a regular both at club and international level in the years to come.

More future England stars in the making:

Dean Parrett

Matthew James

Jordan Spence

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This week, our featured future England star in the making is West Ham United and England U-19 defender Jordan Spence.

Spence is a product of the hugely successful West Ham academy which has produced a number of notable England internationals, including the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick and Spence will be looking add his name to this illustrious group of West Ham players who have gone on to feature regularly for England.

He joined the academy back in 2004 as a precocious 14 year old and impressed almost immediately at Upton Park. The 2005-2006 season saw a young Spence make his academy debut in West Ham’s 5-1 defeat at Ipswich Town. In addition to featuring for the academy side, Spence’s talents were such that he was selected to play in the reserve team that very same season, making his reserve team debut as a substitute in the Hammer’s 3-0 defeat to Watford. A 15 year old Spence would go on to make a total of 5 appearances for the youth team and 2 substitute appearances for the reserve team.

His potential was not to go unnoticed by the England youth setup who called up Spence to the U-16 team. He played 6 times for Kenny Swain’s team, captaining the side and leading them to triumph in the Victory Shield in November 2005.

The next season saw Spence become a regular fixture in the academy side while also making the jump up on the international stage to U-17 football. The summer of 2007 saw Spence captain the England squad which competed in the FIFA U-17 World Cup where England produced a solid display, reaching the last 16 round under Spence’s leadership.

As a result of Spence’s increasing reputation, he found himself more heavily involved with the reserve team during the 2007-2008 season. He scored his first goal for the reserves in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and went on to make 11 appearances for the reserve team as well as playing regularly for the academy side and the England U-18 and U-19 teams.

Manager Alan Curbishley rewarded Spence’s form by calling up the defender to the substitute’s bench for West Ham’s first two Premier League games of the 2008-2009 season and again in the Hammer’s League Cup victory over Macclesfield Town. September saw Alan Curbishley replaced at the Upton Park helm by Gianfranco Zola. The Italian sent Spence on loan to League One team Leyton Orient to give the youngster a taste of first team football. He joined the O’s in November 2008 initially on a one month deal and made his debut for the club in an FA Cup second round tie against Bradford. He returned to Upton Park in January only to be loaned back to Orient where he played regularly for the O’s until the end of the season.

The beginning of last season saw Spence go out on loan again, this time to Championship team Scunthorpe United on a one month deal which was extended until January 2010. Spence played eleven times in all for the Lincolnshire side before returning to West Ham where he was named captain of the reserve team.

After 6 years at the club, Spence finally made his first team bow at the end of last season when he came on as a late second half substitute for Alessandro Diamanti in the Hammer’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

During his time with West Ham and the England youth team, Spence has distinguished himself as an outstanding England prospect. He plays with an assurance beyond his years and possesses pace, versatility, positional awareness and is comfortable in possession. His style of play is very much reminiscent of fellow West Ham academy graduate and England captain Rio Ferdinand. He has captained England at U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-19 level so he certainly has the necessary leadership qualities to be a future England captain down the line. Time will tell whether he will be able to reach these lofty heights but there is no doubt that he has the potential to do so.

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Next on our list of potential England stars in the making is Manchester United and England U-20 international midfielder Matthew James.

James is a product of the famous Manchester United academy at Carrington. He joined the club at a tender age and has been progressing rapidly through the ranks at United. James made his first academy appearance as a fourteen year old back in 2005 when a young James played for the U-18 side. The next season saw James gradually work his way into regular contention, appearing eight times for academy manager Paul McGuinness’ U-18 side before establishing himself as a regular in 2007. The 2007-2008 season also saw James make his first appearance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reserve team where the talented youngster was to become an integral part of the team’s future success.

During his time in the reserves, James established himself as one of the premier midfield talents in the country in the 2008-2009 season where his combination of passing, vision, technique and long-range shooting helped to fire United to second place in the Premier Reserve League North.

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One of James’ main strengths is his versatility, as he is able to play in defence as well as in his preferred position in midfield. James’ style of play has seen him being compared favourably to Paul Scholes due to his devastating long-shots and a keen eye for a pass. These attributes can be seen in a number of performances James turned in for the United reserves with James scoring a searing long-range drive against Preston along with an exquisitely measured through ball for Federico Macheda to score against Newcastle (starting 0:29 in the second video).

These qualities were not to go unnoticed by Sir Alex Ferguson who called James up to the senior side, naming the young midfielder to the substitutes bench for United’s final day victory against Hull City in May 2009. His impressive performances in the reserves earned James a professional contract and he was given the number 43 shirt for the 2009-2010 campaign.

Last season saw James join Championship club Preston North End on loan in February 2010 along with fellow United teammate Danny Wellbeck until the end of the season. James excelled in the Championship, scoring a debut goal against Sheffield United and going on to make eighteen appearances for the Lillywhites. This season sees James rejoin Preston on a season long loan where he has featured in three of Preston’s games so far, scoring once in the League Cup in Preston’s 5-0 win against Stockport.

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In addition to his club career, James has also had an illustrious international youth career becoming a regular fixture in the England youth team at various different levels. James was a perennial inclusion in the U-16 and then U-17 side which he captained, before progressing to the U-19 set up in 2009 being part of the team which reached the European U-19 Championship Finals that year. James was given the honour of captaining the U-19 side against Russia in September 2009, an honour he held during this summer’s European U-19 Championship held in France.

Matthew James is a player that has an exciting future in the game. His second loan spell at Preston North End is an opportunity for James to gain some valuable first team experience to help aid his development into a possible Manchester United and England starter in the coming years.

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