James Maddison (Getty Images)
Every year, there is an emergence of young talents in the Premier League, who make a huge impression. It hasn’t been any different this time either, with a number of young players enjoying a breakthrough campaign or in some cases, building on their burgeoning reputations.
From Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold to Norwich City’s Max Aarons, many youngsters have lit up the Premier League stage this season. But, who would make it to the Premier League U-23 Team of the Season?
As is the case with the criteria for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, players who were 23 or below on the first day of the 2019-20 season are considered for selection.
The Englishman has been in stupendous form for Sheffield United, playing a critical role in their push for a top six finish in what is their first season after promotion. Henderson has missed just one of Sheffield United’s 28 league matches and has kept 10 clean sheets in his debut Premier League season – the second-best tally in the division, helping the Blades to the second-best defensive record in the competition.
The Liverpool starlet continues to grow from strength to strength. After a solid season last time out, Alexander-Arnold has built on it with another fine campaign. The 21-year-old hasn’t missed a single league game this term and has contributed with 2 goals and 12 assists. Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has assisted more goals and created more chances than Alexander-Arnold (75) this season.
The England international missed a stretch of games early in the season due to injuries, but hasn’t looked back since returning. Joe Gomez has been the ideal partner for Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool’s backline, helping them to the best defensive record this season.
The fact that Leicester City haven’t missed Harry Maguire since his departure last summer has had a lot to do with Caglar Soyuncu. The 23-year-old Turk has stepped up and slotted into the Foxes backline seamlessly this season, putting in solid performances one after the other. Soyuncu has missed just one of Leicester’s 29 league games and has a goal and an assist each against his name.
Another Leicester star who has flourished boundlessly this season, Ben Chilwell has taken another huge stride towards becoming a top left-back. So far in 2019/20, the 23-year-old Englishman has scored twice and assisted three in 23 matches, with his forward forays from the left being a key outlet for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
A key component of the high-flying Leicester side, Wilfred Ndidi has excelled this season, playing a pivotal role in his team’s success. The 23-year-old’s presence in the middle has allowed his attack-minded teammates to go about their job and flourish. Ndidi has made 23 appearances in the league, scoring two and assisting one. He has also made 91 tackles – most by any midfielder. It is no surprise that some of the Foxes’ poor performances have come when he was unavailable.
The 22-year-old’s performances have gone a bit under the radar due to the brilliance of some of his other teammates. But Harvey Barnes has had an exceptional campaign with Leicester and has been critical in their push for a top-four finish. The Englishman has contributed with six goals and assists apiece in 27 league games, striking up a fine partnership with Jamie Vardy and Ben Chilwell.
Making his debut in the Premier League this season, the Chelsea youngster has been a revelation for Frank Lampard’s side. His form has declined recently, but Mount has been one of the reasons why the Blues are in the top four. The 21-year-old has contributed with 6 goals and 5 assists this term in 29 matches.
One of the rising stars of English football, the 23-year-old has carried on from where he left off last season, continuing to make huge strides in his career. So far, Maddison has scored six goals and assisted three in 28 PL matches. The Leicester City midfielder is also joint-second in the list for most chances created (75), tied with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Aston Villa’s season has been a disappointing one, but captain Jack Grealish has enjoyed a fine campaign on a personal level. The versatile midfielder has made a contribution of seven goals and six assists in 28 league games, scoring some stunning goals along the way. Grealish has also created 69 goalscoring chances for his teammates this season.
The Manchester United star may have missed the last couple of months due to an injury, but he was in devastating form prior to that. Rashford has racked up a tally of 14 goals and 4 assists in 22 league games this term, being directly involved in a goal every 104 minutes. The 22-year-old has hit the woodwork the most times in PL this season (6).
