12 Up-and-Coming World Football Stars Who Look Primed for a Huge Year in 2015
In this slideshow, we ask—which up-and-coming world football players look primed for a huge year in 2015?
Over the following pages, we cast our eye over 12 burgeoning stars who have all shown signs that they’re going to have a monumental year in football.
Our sights are set firmly on those who are not yet considered to be well-established greats of the game. These players are all age 23 or younger, are experiencing excellent, consistent seasons, have five or less senior international caps and made their breakthrough into their respective sides in either the 2013/14 or 2014/15 campaign.
Arranged from 12-1, we think the player at No. 1 is set to have the biggest year of them all. This is not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to make your own suggestions below.
Performance data comes from Transfermarkt, unless stated otherwise.
12. Rubio Rubin, FC Utrecht
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It's Rubio Rubin's debut season as a senior professional in the Eredivisie where, with FC Utrecht, the 18-year-old is enjoying an impressive 2014/15 campaign.
Within the last six months, the Oregon-born forward has signed his first pro contract, received his first call-up to the United States men's senior team for friendlies against Colombia and Ireland and has taken to the Dutch top flight like a duck to water.
In 14 games for Rob Alflen's side, Rubin has scored twice—the most recent of which came in a 3-1 away defeat at the hands of Ajax. The teen has also registered a further six assists for Utrecht.
Brimming with confidence and already being talked about as one of the brightest young prospects for the USA, Rubin looks set to continue his early-season form and have a huge 2015.
11. Jose Luis Gaya, Valencia CF
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At 19 and with just 18 La Liga games clocked up for Valencia, Jose Luis Gaya still has plenty to prove.
However, the young left-back is already being touted as "the next Jordi Alba," as reported by Tom Hopkinson in the Sunday People (h/t Mirror).
The Spain under-21 international came up through the youth ranks at Mestalla and made his senior debut last season against Atletico Madrid.
This term, following Juan Bernat's summer departure to Bayern Munich, Gaya has gone right into the first team, where he has featured in every league game for Nuno Espirito Santo's side—getting an assist in his second start and a goal in his fifth. He is very much part of a revitalised outfit that has lost just three times in the league this season.
Gaya looks every inch a future left-back for the Spanish national team—this teenager is set for a massive 2015.
10. Manolo Gabbiadini, SSC Napoli
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With the ink still drying on the contract that he signed with Napoli, Manolo Gabbiadini looks ready for a big year in Serie A.
The 23-year-old, previously of Sampdoria (where he was co-owned by Juventus), has enjoyed a fine start to the season, putting away seven goals in 11 starts for Samp. If he continues to display this form, he will easily eclipse the personal best of 10 goals and four assists which were registered across all competitions last season at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The winger's move to Naples was officially confirmed on January 5—a reported €13 million deal, as seen on FIFA.com.
With Lorenzo Insigne sidelined for the next five or six months due to ligament damage, Gabbiadini should go straight into Rafael Benitez's side. Capped twice by Italy, perhaps—if his upward trajectory continues—Gabbiadini will earn a recall to Antonio Conte's Azzurri.
9. Aymeric Laporte, Athletic Bilbao
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France under-21 international Aymeric Laporte is one of the most promising young centre-backs in La Liga and is fast becoming one of the best around.
The defender, who reportedly counts Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea among his admirers—according to David McDonnell in the Mirror—has been outstanding for Athletic Bilbao after breaking into Ernesto Valverde's side in 2013/14.
In Athletic's starting XI on 33 occasions in La Liga last term, Laporte played a huge role in getting his side to their fourth-place finish and into the Champions League. The 20-year-old also ended last season in the LFP Team of the Year.
Despite his side's struggles in Europe this season, Aymeric—with all his pace, confidence and ball-playing abilities—continues to impress. Yet to be capped for Les Bleus' senior side, Laporte is certain to be in Didier Deschamps' plans before long. Watch out EURO 2016.
8. Paulo Dybala, US Palermo
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Sit back and enjoy, fans of Serie A, as Paulo Dybala is currently displaying all the hallmarks of a future star in his breakthrough season at Palermo.
Signed by the Sicilian club in 2012, the Argentinian striker made 11 starts in his first season in Serie A, before being relegated to Serie B with the Rosanero, who won promotion back to the Italian top flight at the first time of asking.
In 2014/15, Dybala has been a revelation for Giuseppe Iachini's side where, in 17 outings, he has scored nine and set up a further six.
Linked with a call-up to the Italy national team (h/t Football-Italia.net), the 21-year-old recently told UEFA.com that, "I feel completely Argentinian. With all due respect to Italy, I would honestly prefer to wear the Albiceleste shirt of Argentina, which I feel is my own."
7. Youri Tielemans, RSC Anderlecht
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The youngest player to feature in this slideshow by some distance, it appears that Youri Tielemans has a huge year ahead of him.
After coming up through the ranks at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the 17-year-old broke through into Besnik Hasi's side in 2013/14. It was last term that he cut his teeth in the Champions League, chalking up four appearances. He also represented Anderlecht 29 times across the Jupiler Pro League and Pro League playoffs—where the Belgian side won their third title in consecutive seasons.
In 2014/15, the central midfielder has played a part in all-but-one of Anderlecht's games in the Champions League and domestically.
As written by Paul Doyle in the Guardian in November:
"Tielemans is not yet the undisputed boss of his team. But it seems only a question of time before he is, and his team will likely be better for it, whichever teams he winds up playing for. The 17-year-old’s influence in the heart of Anderlecht’s midfield grows by the week and he is already being linked with moves to Europe’s biggest clubs.
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One to watch, the Belgian under-21 international has a very bright future. Keep an eye on his progress in 2015.
6. Davy Klaassen, Ajax
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Last season, Davy Klaassen took no part in eight of Ajax's first 10 Eredivisie games. In the Champions League, he looked on as Frank de Boer's side took on Barcelona, AC Milan and Celtic in the first three group games of the Champions League.
By the end of the 2013/14 campaign, Klaassen was an ever-present—with three Champions League games, 26 Eredivisie performances and 12 goals and four assists (in all competitions) under his belt, not to mention being named as the Dutch league's best young player of the year and winning his first senior cap for the Netherlands.
2015 looks like it could be even bigger for the 21-year-old, who now wears the No. 10 shirt for Ajax and is an integral part of De Boer's side.
Starting every single game in the Eredivisie, Europe and KNVB Cup, Klaassen has scored seven and assisted 10 so far this term.
5. Luciano Vietto, Villarreal
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Luciano Vietto has been in the yellow of Villarreal for less than six months but already the 21-year-old has made a considerable impact at El Madrigal.
If his form continues throughout 2015, the former Racing Club striker could be one of the standout players of the year.
Vietto has made quite the start to his career in La Liga where, in 16 games, he has scored eight goals—the most notable of which came in a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid on December 14. He followed it up with two goals in the next game against Deportivo La Coruna and a solitary strike against Elche on January 3.
In the Europa League, the Argentina under-20 international has scored five in eight games and has set up a further four.
Dubbed "the new Sergio Aguero" in some quarters, Vietto currently sits in sixth place in La Liga's top scorers for 2014/15.
4. Alexandre Lacazette, Olympique Lyonnais
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Alexandre Lacazette is taking Ligue 1 by storm.
The 23-year-old currently leads the goalscoring charts with 17 goals—five more than his nearest rival Andre-Pierre Gignac. He also sits third in the assists table with five.
Last term, the Frenchman also impressed, bagging 22 goals in all competitions. Yet over the course of 19 Ligue 1 games in 2014/15 he has already eclipsed last season's total of 15, scored across 36 games.
After making his senior France debut in June 2013, Lacazette made one further performance for Les Bleus until his three recent friendlies against Serbia, Albania and Sweden. Called upon only sparingly by Didier Deschamps in the past and currently having the best season of his career, Lacazette will be hard to ignore in the future.
Despite signing a new contract in September and telling Ligue1.com that he sees his future at Stade de Gerland, there are plenty of rumours linking the Lyon-born player to the Premier League, as seen in this link with Manchester City, as reported by the Daily Mail's Simon Jones. Expect a lot more of that.
3. Roberto Firmino, Hoffenheim
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Named by Bundesliga.com as 2013/14's Breakthrough Player of the Year, there are plenty of big things in store for Roberto Firmino.
The 23-year-old set the Bundesliga alight last term, with 16 goals and 12 assists coming across 33 games for Hoffenheim.
Things improved so dramatically for the German side last season that they finished in ninth—a far cry from the previous campaign where they battled against relegation.
Called up by Dunga to represent the Brazil national team for the first time in November, Firmino has two caps to his name, from friendlies against Turkey and Austria.
With six goals and eight assists (in all competitions) already this season, the attacking midfielder's continuing rise has seen him linked with all manner of clubs, including Premier League sides Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea as well as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, according to Anthony Chapman in the Express.
2. Hakan Calhanoglu, Bayer Leverkusen
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Hakan Calhanoglu joined Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2014, following his breakthrough Bundesliga season with Hamburg.
For both sides, the 20-year-old has been a revelation.
Last term, the German-born Turkey international notched 11 goals and four assists from 28 starts and this season he has added to that tally with five goals and three assists. In all competitions Calhanoglu has managed eight goals and set up seven.
The versatile attacking defender has many attributes but there is one key weapon in his arsenal that you can't ignore—his free kicks.
Rapidly becoming known as one of the best dead-ball specialists around, this strike, scored against FC Cologne, was incredible. As was this, scored for Hamburg against Borussia Dortmund in 2013/14.
Capped four times for Turkey, Calhanoglu is a genuine star in-the-making.
1. Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
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No player appears more primed for a huge 2015 than Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane.
When the current campaign kicked off, it looked like Eric Dier was going to be the side's breakout player but the centre-back and all around him have been surpassed by the 21-year-old Londoner.
Kane came up through the youth ranks at White Hart Lane and, after loans with Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City and Norwich City and a handful of substitute top-flight appearances for Spurs, he was handed his first Premier League start last term by Tim Sherwood, a game in which he scored in a 5-1 rout of Sunderland.
In the league, Kane has scored seven goals from 10 starts in 2014/15, including two strikes against Chelsea in a thrilling 5-3 win on New Year's Day.
Following one of the best individual performances we're likely to see anytime soon, naturally talk of a senior England call-up now appears to be in the offing, as reported by Daniel Taylor in the Guardian.
Loved by his club's fans and oozing confidence, the hard-working striker has scored 17 goals (in all competitions) so far this term. Upon the season's end, expect that figure to be considerably higher.
