World Soccer: Ranking the Top 10 Players Under 23

With the 2012 Olympics, Euro 2012 and the summer transfer window fast approaching, now is a better time than ever to start looking out for the top young players in world soccer.

For the most part, all of these young players will put their talents on display either in London or at Euro 2012 and many of them will be moving to new teams next season.

Even with top players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still in the prime, it's never too early to look forward to the future of soccer.

Without further delay, here are the top 10 players under 23...

10) Kyle Walker, Right Back, Tottenham Hotspur

Kyle Walker has proven to be one of the rising stars in the English Premier League.  As the first team right back for Spurs, he has caught the eye of some of Europe's top clubs.

If you are not convinced about Walker's talent, you should know that he actually won the PFA's Young Player of the Year award.  

The speedy fullback will be playing at the Olympics this summer.

9) Tie, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, Strikers, Manchester United

The Red Devil's attacking duo are both strong options in the first team, although they rarely see the field at the same time due to the presence of Wayne Rooney.

Both players had solid seasons for United, Welbeck scoring 9 goals in 30 matches while Hernandez scored 10 in 28 appearances.

Welbeck will be playing for England at Euro 2012 while Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, barred Hernandez from playing for Mexico in the Olympics.

8) Mario Gotze, Midfielder, Borussia Dortmund

The German international was one of the top players for Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga champions this past season. The kicker is that he is only 19 years old.

Blessed with wonderful pace and skill at such a young age, Gotze should be one of the top players in the world for years to come.  He has already proven himself in the top German league (scored 6 goals with 5 assists in only 17 matches this season) and scored his first goal for the German senior team when he was only 18 years old.

Gotze will be playing for Germany at Euro 2012.

7) Mats Hummels, Defender, Borussia Dortmund

Gotze's teammate Hummels, both with Dortmund and Germany, is the top young center back in the game today.

Hummels is solid at the back and has the ability to push forward.  He only scored one goal to go with four assists this season, but he is only 23 years old and should see his offensive production increase.  Although, those are good numbers from a defender anyway.

Hummels will be playing at Euro 2012.

6) Eden Hazard, Forward, Lille

Eden Hazard was a beast for Lille this year.  He scored 20 goals to go along with 16 assists in the French Ligue 1.

As one of the top attackers in the world right now, Hazard is being pursued by many of England's top teams including Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.  

Belgium will not be playing at either Euro 12 or the olympics, therefore neither will Hazard.

5) Thomas Muller, Forward, Bayern Munich

Even though Bayern lost the Champion's League final, Muller had a strong showing, scoring his team's only goal against Chelsea.

In the Bundesliga, Muller will again be one of Bayern's top play makers in the 2012/13 season.

At 22 years of age Muller has shown ability well beyond his years.  Look for him to have a strong showing at Euro 2012 with Germany.

4) Gareth Bale, Winger, Tottenham Hotspur

The Welsh international was one of the top players in the EPL this season.  With his size and pace, Bale will be one of the stars of world football for years to come.

With the transfer window approaching, Bale could be making a move to a bigger club like Barcelona or Real Madrid for next season.

Bale will play for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

3) Neymar, Forward, Santos F.C.

Even at only 20 years of age, Neymar is already seen as one of the top players in the world. He has the talent to one day be the very best player on the planet.

For now he sits at number three on this list because he is still playing in Brazil and has not proven himself in Europe.

Neymar will be Brazil's star of the Olympics this summer.

2) Sergio Aguero, Striker, Manchester City

Aguero, already one of the top players in the EPL, scored 23 goals for league champion Manchester City.

One of the quickest players in soccer, it is scary to think about the potential that Aguero has. He is another player being targeted by Real Madrid this summer, although he has not been too interested in that move.

Aguero will be playing in London in July.

1) Mesut Ozil, Attacking Midfielder, Real Madrid

Since a breakout performance at the 2010 World Cup, Ozil has proven to be one of the top creative forces in world football.

As the man in the middle for Real Madrid, Ozil had four goals to go with a league leading 17 assists for the La Liga champions.

Ozil will be using his spectacular vision to aid Germany at Euro 2012.

Thats All Folks

If you have any questions, comments or criticisms please don't hesitate to start up the discussion below.

If you enjoyed this read you might want to check out this debate on which players deserve a spot in this years World XI...

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Rest of This Year's World XI