17 Teenage Talents on Verge of World Football Stardom

OK, so you know all about Neymar. You've read every last article about Mario Götze.

How about someone else?

Here are 17 teen footballers you don't know more about than your first-born son. You've probably heard of a few of them, and a few of them you probably don't know from Adam.

All of them, though, share a common trait: They're all on the road to international stardom.

That is, if they're not already there.

Some will get there. Some won't. But they all have the talent.

And it's exciting to think of what might happen.

Emmanuel Frimpong

Club: Arsenal

Country: Ghana/England

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Age: 19

Frimpong is a Ghanaian-born midfielder who has represented England at various youth levels. He has, however, committed his future to Ghana.

English fans should be disappointed: Frimpong is a potential star. After moving to London as a child, he made his way through Arsenal's youth program and made his first-team debut in 2011.

A loan move might be next for Frimpong, who needs more first-team experience. But a full breakthrough into Arsenal's first team can't be far behind.

Christian Eriksen

Club: Ajax

Country: Denmark

Position: Midfielder

Age: 19

Eriksen's performances last season with Ajax earned him recognition as the Eredivisie's best young player.

At the international level, Eriksen skipped the U-21s and jumped into the fold with the senior squad as a teenager. He appeared twice at the 2010 World Cup, when he was 18, and scored his first international goal this year in a Euro qualifier.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Club: Arsenal

Country: England

Position: Winger

Age: 18

Arsenal signed Oxlade-Chamberlain, then 17, from Southampton in August 2011 for a reported £12 million.

And AOC has impressed whenever he's worn the Arsenal shirt. He scored his first goal with the club on Sept. 20 in the Carling Cup and also scored in Arsenal's Champions League win over Olympiacos.

AOC comes from a good footballing family. His father, Mark Chamberlain, represented England eight times in the 1980s.

Before joining Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain was named to the PFA League One Team of the Year for 2010-11.

Phil Jones

Club: Manchester United

Country: England

Position: Defender/midfielder

Age: 19

Phil Jones is already something of a star.

After moving from Blackburn to Manchester United in the summer, Jones earned his first England call-up in October 2011.

Since then, he's become a regular for both, thanks in part to his versatility. Equally comfortable in defense and midfield, Jones could be a valuable player for England and United for several years.

Jack Wilshere

Club: Arsenal

Country: England

Position: Midfielder

Age: 19

Jack Wilshere has already experienced so much success and earned so many plaudits that it's hard to remember he's still a teenager.

Wilshere, who turns 20 on New Year's Day, was voted PFA Young Player of the Year and earned a spot on the PFA Team of the Year for 2010-11.

His success is nothing new to Premier League fans. Wilshere debuted at age 16 in 2008.

In a few more years, he could be a bona fide superstar.

Josh McEachran

Club: Chelsea

Country: England

Position: Midfielder

Age: 18

McEachran worked his way through the Chelsea youth system before making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in September 2010. In that debut, he also became the first player born after the start of the Champions League to take part in a Champions League match.

A creative central midfielder, McEachran has represented England at the U-16, -17, -19 and -21 levels. With more first-team experience at Chelsea, he could be a face to watch in the senior England side in the coming years.

Jetro Willems

Club: PSV Eindhoven

Country: Netherlands

Position: Defender

Age: 17

Willems joined PSV in 2011 after playing 15 league matches last term for Eerste Divisie club Sparta Rotterdam.

Still just 17, he's already being linked with a move to English giants Manchester United as a long-term replacement for Patrice Evra.

Lucas Ocampos

Club: River Plate

Country: Argentina

Position: Winger

Age: 17

Hailed as "the new Cristiano Ronaldo," Lucas Ocampos is drawing attention from a host of big European clubs.

Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly among the interested parties, while Inter apparently already had a bid of £15 million rejected.

Ross Barkley

Club: Everton

Country: England

Position: Midfielder

Age: 18

Arsenal legend Martin Keown thinks Ross Barkley will become one of England's all-time greats.

That's a bold prediction, but Keown isn't alone. Earlier this season, media reports suggested that a bidding war was about to break out over Barkley, who was still only 17.

He stayed with Everton, but we'll see how long that lasts.

Jordan Ibe

Club: Wycombe Wanderers

Country: England

Position: Forward

Age: 16

Ibe broke into the first team with Wycombe as a 15-year-old this season, and immediately attracted interest from England's big clubs.

According to reports, he signed a pre-contract with Liverpool on Monday. The deal is reportedly worth £500,000 initially.

Stephan El Shaarawy

Club: AC Milan

Country: Italy

Position: Forward/midfielder

Age: 19

Stephan El Shaarawy, an Italian footballer of Egyptian descent, joined AC Milan from Genoa as an 18-year-old in June 2011.

He made his debut Sept. 18 and scored his first goal three days later in a draw with Udinese.

Look for big things from El Shaarawy.

Gerard Deulofeu

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Position: Forward/midfielder

Age: 17

Gerard Deulofeu is a Barcelona B player who is trying to break into the senior squad. He made a pair of appearances with the first team in preseason friendlies, and made his first official first-team appearance in October.

He replaced David Villa in that game, a 5-0 win over Mallorca. Could further first-team success follow soon?

Sergi Roberto

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Position: Midfielder

Age: 19

Sergi Roberto is another Barcelona B player trying to break into the first squad. He made his La Liga debut as a substitute in May 2011, and he started against BATE Borisov last week in the Champions League.

Sergio Roberto has represented Spain at the U-17, -19, -20 and -21 levels. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a star at the senior level.

Andy Polo

Club: Universitario

Country: Peru

Position: Forward

Age: 17

Andy Polo broke into Universitario's first team last spring and has since made a name for himself as one of South America's most exciting young scorers.

Dubbed the "new Sergio Agüero," Polo has started attracting interest from Europe. Look for him to make a move soon.

Igor Lichnovsky

Club: Universidad

Country: Chile

Position: Defender

Age: 17

After impressing with his club team in Chile, Lichnovsky reportedly attracted interest from Chelsea.

Lichnovsky has represented Chile at the U-15 and -17 levels. At 6'2" he has the physical presence to become a star in any league.

Nicolas Lopez

Club: Nacional

Country: Uruguay

Position: Forward

Age: 18

Lopez broke into the first team at Nacional last spring and has blossomed into a star. Now, he's drawing interest from European clubs.

Look for him to establish himself in Europe in the near future.

Jonathan Williams

Club: Crystal Palace

Country: Wales

Position: Midfielder

Age: 18

Williams recently broke his fibula, an injury that will rule him out for an extended period. But when he returns, he could become the next big Welsh star.

He's attracted interest from Chelsea, and after being called into Wales' senior squad, he even reportedly drew interest from England.