Under-19 talents on the rise
Saturday, July 1, 2017
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UEFA.com profiles eight rising stars to look out for in Georgia, including several who have already made an impact at club level and one who broke through aged only 15.
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Aymen Barkok (Germany)
The Eintracht Frankfurt winger made his Bundesliga debut in November, promptly scoring a last-minute winner against Werder Bremen. "You can count on him if you need to create chances," reckons Germany's U19 coach Frank Kramer.
Giorgi Chakvetadze (Georgia)
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder has already featured for the Under-21s and the Dinamo Tbilisi first team. Intelligent and fast, Chakvetadze is also a threat on the left wing.
Sead Haksabanovic (Sweden)
Aged 15 when he made his Allsvenskan debut for Halmstads in 2015, Haksabanovic has developed a physique to go along with his ball skills and is never afraid to take on defenders.
Diogo Dalot (Portugal)
An archetype of the modern and tireless full-back as he speeds up and down the right flank. Porto product Dalot is yet to make his senior club debut but has made his mark at international level: in 2016 he scored in the semis and final as Portugal won the U17 EURO and two months later aided the U19s to the last four.
Ryan Sessegnon (England)
Born in May 2000, the Fulham full-back has made the left side his own with some eye-catching displays, scoring twice in a memorable away win at Newcastle United in March.
Ferdi Kadioglu (Netherlands)
The dynamic midfielder broke through this season at NEC Nijmegen and has scored four goals in 27 Eredivisie appearances. Blessed with an excellent right foot, he works tirelessly in both attack and defence.
Georgi Rusev (Bulgaria)
Quick and skilful, the midfielder showed plenty of promise at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria and has continued his progress since joining Spanish side Elche.
Michal Sadílek (Czech Republic)
The left-footed PSV Eindhoven midfielder is a year younger than his team-mates but provides creativity as a playmaker and can score crucial goals from set pieces.
This is an updated version of an article appears in the official Under-19 tournament programme; get your copy here