5 teenagers who can take the football world by storm in the next decade

Teenage years are often the formative period for a football player where they spend time honing skills at the club’s academy and playing with the age-group and reserve teams. Some of the youngsters manage to break through to be in the reckoning for the first-team very early. And then there are those who have firmly established themselves in the first-team and given their young age, will only improve with time. We look at five teenagers who have already impressed for the first-team and are set to dominate world football for many years to come.Honourable mentions: Alen Halilovic, Divock Origi, Zakaria Bakkali, Oliver Torres, Leon Goretzka

#5 Martin degaard (Norway and Strmsgodset)

The 15-year-old made his international debut for Norway last month in a friendly against UAE, thus becoming the youngest footballer to play for the country. This brought instant worldwide attention on the youngster, who earlier this year became the youngest player to appear and score a goal in the Norwegian Tippeligaen.

Ødegaard, who is a boyhood Liverpool fan because of compatriot John Arne Riise playing for the club, has been reportedly scouted by as many as 35 clubs across Europe including Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United. He has already had training stints at Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Norway international Morten Gamst Pedersen has praised Ødegaard and said “For his age he is unbelievable - his knowledge of the game is unbelievable and his technical skills are fantastic”. Current Celtic manager Ronny Deila, who gave Ødegaard his first cap for Strømsgodset, believes that the player has the potential to become the best in the world.

At the tender age of 15, Ødegaard finds that the world is already at his feet, and if guided wisely there is nothing that will stop him from converting this potential into performances consistently at the highest level.