Future Kings: A Look at Some of Tomorrow's Stars

Every season there are a handful of young players who break onto the scene and catch everyone’s eyes. They are accompanied with the stories on how they grew up, or what academy they are a product of adding to the fan frenzy over their potential. Saddled with the expectations of being the next great player, some exceed these lofty expectations, while others end up fizzling out.

This is a look at some names to keep an eye on over the next few seasons, as they all have worldly potential, and will be the center of countless transfer rumors and fan discussions. This list is based solely on my opinion, and is sure to leave out several young gems others may know of. I purposely left out the likes of Wickham, Jones, Chamberlain, Miyaichi, and Neymar due to all of them having already received mass media attention.

Raheem Sterling: Liverpool

Most Liverpool fans already know about the potential of winger Raheem Sterling. The 16 year old once scored 5 goals in an FA Youth cup game. Sterling is blessed with pace and good technical ability. He is a lot like Aaron Lennon in his size and skill set, but seems to be more apt at finding the back of the net.

Originally from Jamaica, Sterling has appeared for the England U16 and U17 teams. His ability to terrorize opponents from the wing will make him a fan favorite when he cracks Liverpool’s first team in the upcoming years.

M'Baye Niang; Caen

Caen’s 16 year old forward M’Baye Niang is hardly an undiscovered gem. Already thought to be a target of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham, Niang has all the physical tools to be a dominant goal scoring machine. The six foot forward appeared seven times for Caen this past season finding the net three times. Some of his goals have already garnered several internet views due to their quality. His style of play has drawn comparisons to Thierry Henry.

The drawback to this extraordinary talent may be his attitude. He seems to have a streak of impatience. His development may be best suited if he remains at Caen or goes to a club where he will get first team experience. Whether he leaves Caen this summer or next, we are all bound to hear plenty regarding this talented forward. Already valued at around £8 million, the valuation could end up being a bargain if he reaches his potential.

Xherdan Shaqiri; FC Basel

A similar player to Sterling, Xherdan Shaqiri is a 19 year old winger for FC Basel. He has already made 61 first team appearances, but is a relative unknown among fans due to the league he plays in. Shaqiri is being tracked by several big clubs, and if given the opportunity to move to a larger league, he will make fans take notice.

Blessed with excellent speed and good vision, Shaqiri is more in the playmaking mold, but can also finish when given the opportunity. Although he is not shy about the physical side of the game, a move to La Liga would probably showcase his talents better than the English game.

Jon Toral; Arsenal

The expectation is every player in the Barcelona youth system is going to be a star, just some become bigger stars then others. Jon Toral is another youth prodigy from the Barcelona factory of stars. Arsenal purchased the 6'3 midfielder from Barcelona in the spring for £300,000. Toral has all the Barcelona tools: foot skills, passing ability and a high game IQ. Compared to Cesc Fabregas, Toral’s height gives him physical attributes Cesc lacks. His long strides allow him to cover ground quickly from box to box.

Toral’s mother is English, and Arsenal are hopeful he carries some of the English mentality for the game to go along with his skills. With the amount of talent in front of him at Arsenal, don't expect Toral to break onto the scene this year.

Yaya Sanogo; AJ Auxerre

AJ Auxerre has a long tradition of pumping out talented players from their youth academy. Cantona and Cisse are some of Auxerre's most well-known products, and now Yaya Sanogo is another name that can keep the tradition going. The 6'3 forward has been a scoring machine at the youth level. He scored 18 goals in 18 games for the French National U16 team, and he has excellent pace and technical ability. At 18 years old, there is still time for his frame to fill out, allowing him to be a more physical presence.

The current knock on Sanogo has been his lack of first team experience, but that can be attributed to some of the strikers ahead of him and Auxerre’s style of play under Jean Fernandez. With Fernandez and Polish striker Jelen both gone, the opportunity for Sanogo to make his mark could come this season.