100 best young players to watch-out for in 2014 - Part 1
This list contains only those players who are 20 and under, thus born on or after 1st January 1993. We have taken into consideration factors such as their performance in 2013 and expected performance in 2014. Only those players who have made a fairly regular run of senior football appearances in the top division on any country have been included.
You can read the other two parts here: Part 2, Part 3
30) DeAndre Yedlin
Who is he? Yedlin is a 20 year old right back playing for the Seattle Sounders in the MLS. He is yet to be capped for USA.
Back in 2013: Yedlin is a regular for the Sounders having featured 30 times in the MLS for the Sounders in what was his first season with the senior side. He scored once in 2013 in the league against the Colorado Rapids and also managed an assist against Real Salt Lake. He started 30 times for his club and country. He also started in 3 out of the 4 games in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Yedlin was a part of the unsuccessful U-20 World Cup team for the USA. He’s never made a senior appearance for the national side but he’s one of the 26 who’ve recently been called up for a USMNT training camp by Jurgen Klinsmann.
Looking ahead to 2014: After having finished 3rd in the MLS Rookie of the Year voting, 2014 will be a big year for DeAndre Yedlin. His immediate goal will of course be to impress boss Klinsmann in the training camp. Whether he can book a place in the 23 man squad only time will tell but he’ll want to take the chance to impress. After that, it’s all about kicking on in 2014 and building on his first season with the Sounders.
29) Bjorn Engels
Who is he? Bjorn Engels is a 19 year old defender who plays for Club Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League. The Belgian centre-back has the quirky distinction of having scored an own goal on his club debut in the Europa League and a goal on his league debut for Brugge.
Back in 2013: Engels made his league debut for his club in the 2nd game of the season and marked his debut with a goal as Brugge overcame KV Oostende by a 2-1 margin. Engels has since started 13 other games for the Belgian club and added to his goal tally in a 4-1 loss to KV Kortijk. He has managed to garner 5 yellow cards and a sending off in his short league career thus far.
The tall centre-back hasn’t managed to make his mark at the International stage yet with a solitary appearance in an U-19 friendly in 2012 being his only appearance in International football so far.
Looking ahead to 2014: Engels has enjoyed plenty of first team football for his club this season and he would definitely be looking forward to the restart of the League after the winter break. Engels would be best served furthering his development at Brugge in 2014.