da cassino： The annual competition kicks-off in Hungary on Wednesday, but who are the top talents you should be looking out for?
da leao： International youth tournaments are where football fans tend to get a first glimpse of superstars of the future, and that's no more true than at the Under-17 European Championship, with the 2023 edition set to kick-off in Hungary on Wednesday.
Previous winners of the competition's Player of the Tournament prize include Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos and Jadon Sancho, and players from the 16 teams that have qualified for this year's tournament will be hoping of one day replicating the careers of those household names.
The defending champions are France, and their title-winning team of 2022 are a strong example of how this tournament can be a springboard to greater things. Star striker Mathys Tel moved to Bayern Munich for an initial €20 millionin the wake of his heroics in Israel, while Warren Zaire-Emery and El Chadaille Bitshiabu have both played in the Champions League knockout stages for Paris Saint-Germain this term.
So who will be the breakout stars of this year's competition? NXGN has teamed up with GOAL to pick out some potential superstars of the future who will be strutting their stuff over the next few weeks…
Getty ImagesGabriele Biancheri (Wales)
Sixteen-year-old striker Biancheri has already made headlines in 2023 after completing a transfer to Manchester United in February having been a goal machine for Cardiff City's youth sides.
United reportedly beat off competition from three other Premier League sides to sign Biancheri, and he marked his debut for their U18s with a goal.
He will now likely lead the line for Wales as the Euro 2016 semi-finalists begin trying to find stars of the future as much of their 'Golden Generation' of the past decade begin to retire from international football.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesParis Brunner (Germany)
Brunner's name became well known in German football at the start of the 2022-23 season when he scored 16 goals in Borussia Dortmund U17s' first six games of the campaign, with the striker tipped to be the next star to emerge from the club's famed academy.
The 17-year-old has continued to score pretty frequently at U19 level, and Barcelona are reported to be scouting Brunner as they look to add potential superstars of the future to their youth ranks.
Getty ImagesArchie Gray (England)
Gray comes from good footballing stock, with his father, grandfather and great-uncle having all played for Scotland at international level, but it is England who the midfielder currently represents.
Having first appeared on the bench for Leeds United's first team as a 15-year-old, Gray continues to appear in matchday squads for the Premier League strugglers, and might have made his senior debut already were it not for a series of injuries.
Mathis Lambourde (France)
From Ousmane Dembele to Eduardo Camavinga to Mathys Tel, Rennes' academy has a growing reputation as one of the best in European football, and there is hope that Lambourde can be the next to emerge from the Ligue 1 side's talent factory.
A wide forward who has been compared to Dembele in some quarters, the 17-year-old is already a regular for Rennes' reserve side, and a first-team debut in the next 12 months is not beyond him if he continues on his current trajectory.