World Soccer Presents - The Prem Era #2 (2022)

76 THE PREM ERA

Aware of the youngster’s pedigree – he

was Germany Under-19s’ Player of the Year

in 2012 – national coachJoachim Low did

not hesitate to bring him on board with the

seniors.

The defender can overdo the rough stuff

or lose concentration on occasion, but don’t

bet on those rough edges remaining for too

long. Challenges, as far as he is concerned,

aretheretobemetheadon–ashedid

three years ago when taking the momentous

decision to swap the Borussia Dortmund

youth ranks for Stuttgart.

Many at Dortmund thought he had taken

leave of his senses, but for him it was simply

a case of hard-nosed logic.

“In Dortmund, I would have remained in

the youth team,” says Rudiger, whose half-

brother Sahr Senesie played for Dortmund

and Germany Under-21s. “Stuttgart, on the

other hand, offered me the chance to play

for their reserves in the national third

division.”

But having become frustrated by

Stuttgart’s apparent unwillingness to

negotiate a new contract, overseas sides

Monaco, Porto, Chelsea and Manchester

United have all been linked with moves.

Nick Bidwell

GabrielJesus

Headliner, December 2016

Eyebrows were raised when new Brazil coach

Tite selected the19-year-old Palmeiras centre-

forward. The youngster had just helped Brazil

win that elusive Olympic gold medal, but there

is a huge difference between the Olympics

and World Cup qualifying.

He made his debut in September against

Ecuador, and the rookie snatched wildly at a

couple of early chances. However,Jesus ended

up tipping the balance in the final 20 minutes.

For a player with so much ability to open up

defences, Bernardo made just one fleeting

substitute appearance for Benfica last term

and, having outgrown a diet of second-tier

football with the club’s B team, he jumped

at the chance to join Monaco on loan for a

year, where he has enjoyed far more playing

time under coach LeonardoJardim.

At his best as a central playmaker but

mainly deployed on the flank byJardim,

the Portugal Under-21 starlet is a skilful

dribbler who was dubbed “Messizinho” by

Benfica youth coach Fernando Chalana. The

left-footer might not be the quickest, but

his low centre of gravity and trickery keep

him one step ahead of his opponents.

Already the youngest player to represent

Norway, Odegaard’s substitute appearance

against Bulgaria in October made him – at

15 years and 300 days – the youngest

player ever to appear in Euro qualifying.

With his mazy dribbling and mesmerising

stop-start moves, he has the world at his

Bernardo Silva

Talent Scout, November 2014

Martin Odegaard

Talent Scout, November 2014

At the end of the season, Bernardo will

have to decide whether to return to the

team he loves above all else or make a

permanent move to a club that really

appreciates him.

Nick Bidwell

feet. Over the past few months, technical

directors at all the top football addresses

have targeted the left-footed attacking

midfield prodigy; according to his father –

himself a former Stromsgodset midfielder

• no fewer than 30 major European clubs
  have made approaches for his son.
  Marcaclaims that Real Madrid have bid
  €12m for the youngster, while Oslo tabloid
  VGhas it on good authority that PSG have
  been in touch. Barcelona, meanwhile, had
  three scouts checking out his progress
  during Stromsgodset’s league game with
  Sogndal, and Odegaard has already visited
  the facilities at Manchester United, Bayern
  Munich and Stuttgart.
  Yet, for all his extravagant talent – the
  pirouettes, mazy runs, stepovers, backheels,
  splendid goals and assists – he has only been
  playing in the Norwegian top flight for six
  months and still has a long road to tread.
  Nick Bidwell

First, he won a penalty, from which

Neymar scored the opener. Then he struck

twice himself in the last few minutes, flicking

home a cross from the left and scoring with

a wonderful shot on the turn from 20 yards.

October’s qualifiers brought more goals;

the fourth in a 5-0 win against Bolivia, and

the opener in a 2-0 victory over Venezuela.

With four goals in his first four senior

internationals, the Manchester City-bound

youngster has underlined why he is not out

of his depth in the Brazil number nine shirt.

Tim Vickery