5 upcoming superstars from top European academies
European football boasts vast talent at academy level, with new star players coming to the forefront and impressing every few seasons. As with everything else, the phrase ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is always personified, albeit not as quickly in the sport of football.Nevertheless, academies remain filled with promising youngsters who are hungry for first-team opportunities. Some of these famed youth systems have produced the very best footballers such as Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and Wayne Rooney.Fortunately, when the sun sets on such superstars, there will be no shortage of players who could take over with ease.Let’s take a look at five upcoming stars which will ensure that the game of football remains in good hands (or feet rather) down the line.
#1 Alessandro Mastalli - AC Milan
Italian teenager Alessandro Mastalli, who captained AC Milan’s Primavera side last season, was loaned out to Swiss club Lugano last July, but returned to Milan at the turn of the year.
At 19 years old, this midfielder is exceptionally talented, and has exhibited resplendent passing and finishing ability. He has developed into a great playmaker, possessing the intelligence and maturity needed to control things in the middle of the park. Mastalli, predominantly right-footed, has superb control of the ball and is always composed under pressure.
He already has a 14-minute senior-team cameo under his belt, having replaced Andrea Poli 76 minutes into a 3-0 home win against Torino back in May of 2015.
Having served as Primavera captain, the youngster has shown that he has what it takes to be a leader on the pitch. He will definitely be hard to overlook in the future.