SOME INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS ABOUT YOUTH PLAYERS

[jenni_blog]

Two Friday nights ago I was watching a news program about La Liga on TV. In it was a short segment about Athletic Bilbao and their young sensation Iker Muniain, who is only 16 years old and already sought by clubs like Real Madrid.

I've also been reading about a young Argentine player, Diego Buonanotte, who is now 21 but who has been playing in the first team for River Plate of Argentina since he was 17. He has been recently sold (as are most of Argentina's best players) to a European team. Namely Sunderland of the English Premier League.

Buonanotte also has a teammate named Daniel Villalva, who is 17 and also wanted by Manchester United, only he has turned them down.

These two are not the only youngsters of note who are transferred at a young age to European teams. Sometimes it works out well (as in the case of Gonzalo Higuain with Real Madrid) and sometimes not so good in the beginning at least (Ever Banega with Valencia).

Below the cut are some pics, links to articles and vids on the above-mentioned newcomers and probable future stars.

I also came across some interesting lists. (I love lists.) One of them is very recent. It names the Top Ten Best Youngsters in football. The other is an older list, from 2007, that names the Top 50 Youngsters. It's quite interesting to see who from that list has 'made it'.



Link to an article on Diego Buonanotte's transfer:

http://www.riverplate.com/Blogs/River-News--English-/4694-sunderland-interested-in-buonanotte.html

Here are a couple of pics of Buonanotte.





And Daniel 'Keko' Villalva.






Link to Iker Muniain vid and my impressions on the televised interview.

Interviews with iker muniain and fernando llorente.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfSnudHz0f4

I heard on the news last night that Real Madrid are interested in 16-year-old sensation Iker Muniain of Athletic Bilbao.

I was also lucky enough to see a televised interview with Iker on Friday night. He is so impressive because of his maturity on and off the pitch. He looks 16 and sounds 16, but the way he plays and the things he says are so astonishingly mature.

Unfortunately I have not found an article linking him with Real Madrid, but it was on TV.

Some pics of Iker:

First, a cartoon I love:

















This is the list of the Top Ten Best Young Players that was recently published in forbes.com.
I would post a link to the article itself except that it is extremely annoying to read. Too many ads, etc., and the whole list does not appear on one page.
So here they are, in backwards order:

10. Mamoud Sissoko
9. Nicklas Bendtner
8. Marko Marin
7. Neven Subotic
6. Pato (AC Milan)
5. Marcelo (Real Madrid)
4. Mesut Oezil
3. Kun Aguero
2. Karim Benzema
1. Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain is considered #1 Best Young Player!

OK, here is the link, but be warned it is very frustrating to read.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/24/world-cup-stars-lifestyle-sports-soccer-players.html

And here is a link to the Soccerlens article from 2007 that names their choices for the Top 50 Young Players.

http://soccerlens.com/top-50-most-exciting-teen-footballers-2007/4258/

Comments

[ayres-4.livejournal.com]

Buonanotte hasn't been sold yet though.
It's ridiculous though, that they keep selling such young players. Kun is at Atletico and is extremely young, because he started playing at Independiente when he was 16!!!
We don't even get the chance to enjoy our best players for a couple of years. Look at Di Santo and Insua, they never got to Primera! And they wanted to buy 15 yeard old Lucas Robledo (from San Lorenzo). He's a babyyyyyy. I want him to play for us first =(

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Oh really? OK, I thought I had read it in a River fansite, but then I was reading in Spanish and my Spanish is not the best.

Of course it is sad that these young players must be sold, but I guess it's that the clubs need the money and don't have the patience to let these boys play for awhile and bring some money in. If that's possible anyway. And I'm sure all these players have agents who want a piece of them as well as the players themselves wanting to make better money in Europe. :(

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

Interesting lists. From the 2007 list I don't know the most and some are not really good!

Buenanotte isn't sold yet. Maybe he will go in the winter transfer...
I hope the youngsters will stay with their argentine or other south american clubs. The young boys should stay at home. (I can understand the financial reason) I don't want the european clubs are buying all talents. They should do a better youth work by themselves.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I thought I had read on Pagina that Buonanotte had already signed with Sunderland. But maybe not yet.

I thought the 2007 list was fascinating! Yes, there are players on there I have not heard of, and some that have had disastrous times so far (like Gareth Bale).

I guess it would take a revolution in European football (especially in the EPL) for the clubs to start producing their own players. Actually, Athletic Bilbao do it in Spain, and also Barcelona, but both clubs share their strong political sense, and I believe that is what drives them to 'keep it in the family' so to speak.

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

In South America and Spain it is more easy for the young players to get a first team chance. In England football is much harder and faster and the young ones have to be very strong. Look at Emiliano Insua, he is not on a list but he is a very good player. Liverpool gave him time! I player has to be very strong for playing first team football in England! (not only by his body)
Éver - that was a Valencia fault. They coudn't handle the young guy, it was never his fault.
Gonzalo Higuain is a strong guy, totally different from Éver. What about Gago?
I think these list are always only made for the one who made it (the 'maker' wants to show his interests). I miss players and others I don't know.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

It's true! We could make our own lists too. Sometimes we consider these people 'experts' but they don't know any more about these things than we do!

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

AGREE!