100 Best Young Players to watch out for in 2014 - Part 2

Remember that 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 Part 1 here

20) Issiaga Sylla

Who is he?: Sylla is a 20 year old. He currently plays in France, for Toulouse, and is a left back, though his attacking qualities mean that he can sometimes be deployed as a left midfielder as well. He was born in Conakry, and plays his international football for Guinea.

Back in 2013: Sylla made his debut for Toulouse late last season. At this point, the manager, Cassanova used him as a left sided midfielder and the player responded well with some solid performances, even scoring a goal. Strangely enough, he made his international debut before his debut for Toulouse, playing 78 minutes in a friendly against Senegal.

This season, he has established himself in the starting line up for the French club and has been a good performer for them. He has made 17 appearances in the league, and scored twice, also chipping in with an assist. In the Cup, he scored a goal in the third round of the cup against Creteil in a 3-1 win away from home.

Looking to 2014: Sylla has had a good solid start to his career in the second half of this year, and will be looking to continue his fine run of form. His versatility has been a major asset for him, as his manager has played him in defence and in midfield. If he continues to put in these performances, he will soon start attracting attention from some of the top dogs in Europe.

19) Brandon Mechele

Who is he?: This young Belgian centre back plays for Club Brugge at the moment. He made his debut for them towards the end of last season, during the play-offs.

Back in 2013: As mentioned, Mechele made his debut towards the end of last season, but played all of 48 minutes in 3 play off matches. This season though, has been a different story. He’s been a starting member of the side more often than not, and completed 90 minutes on almost every occasion. He’s also been in the side for the cup games such as the Europa League qualifiers and the domestic cup. Unfortunately, his team has been unable to progress in either competition. Mechele is a well established member of the Belgian U21 team as well which is making waves across the continent. He played for 90 minutes in the impressive 3-1 win over the Italian U21 side too.

Looking to 2014: Despite the fact that he was in the starting 11 more often than not in this season, worryingly for him, he lost his place towards the end of the year. His first goal for the new year will be to win it back, and keep it. After that, he can focus on putting in the performances that can catch the eyes of potential suitors across the continent.