Sometimes, footballers do not need to wait until their physical prime to develop their skills – some players are world-class talents from the very moment they step out onto a pitch.
Today, we’ll be looking at nine of the best teenage footballers from across history.
We’ll be examining legends from team such as Manchester United, Barcelona and Liverpool – who do you think should’ve made the cut and how do you think it compares to our recent look at the top 11 teenagers in world football?
9. Lamine Yamal
The only player on our list who is still a teenager – at just 18 years of age, Lamine Yamal has already entered the upper echelons of professional football.
He has two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and a Euros title to his name, as well as several goals on the international stage for Spain.
A brilliant dribbler of the ball with electric pace, Yamal is the quintessential modern winger – who knows how far he can go in the modern game?
8. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe became Monaco’s youngest ever goalscorer in 2016 – since then, the Frenchman has gone on to reach truly meteoric heights.
Immediately, Mbappe put the world on notice when his blindingly quick pace was put on display – full-backs across the globe began to hope they would never have to face such a talent.
By the time he turned 20 years of age, Mbappe had won two Ligue 1 titles, the French Cup and the World Cup in 2018.
7. Michael Owen
Michael Owen’s initial run at Liverpool was spell-binding – it is hard to forget the hype that surrounded him during his younger years.
In the 1997/98 season, when Owen was just 18, he scored 18 Premier League goals over the course of 36 games. He scored, on average, a goal every other game – an incredible record for someone so young.
While he could not boast the trophy cabinet that the other teenagers on this list could, the natural talent that Owen possessed as a teenager was truly phenomenal.
6. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney was an absolute revelation when he made his debut for Everton. On his first game for the Toffees, he made an assist against Tottenham – then scoring twice in his sophomore outing.
When he moved to Manchester United in 2004, Rooney was still only 19, despite already being a household name across the country.
Sadly, Rooney’s early talent would come back to bite him – having played so much as a young man, he was burned out by the time he turned 30.
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