Football's ‘next generation' of 2014 and where they are more than 10 years later
The Next Generation list of 2014 has turned out a mix of world-beaters and underwhelming products, with a collection of players born in 1997 originally tipped for the top
Spotting the cream of the crop in football is one thing, but unearthing the next sensation is a whole different ball game. Each season ushers in a fresh wave of potential superstars, yet only a select few truly make their mark.
It's been more than 10 years since The Guardian released its Next Generation Class of 2014, showcasing what were considered 40 of the world's top prospects born in 1997. Fast forward to today, and the whereabouts of these once-touted prodigies paint a diverse tapestry.
Some have indeed lived up to the hype, while others have sadly drifted from the limelight, and a few have even hung up their boots already. Mirror Football revisits the list to see how these hopefuls have fared over the years and where they stand today.
Topping the stakes is Ousmane Dembele, who was instrumental in Paris Saint-Germain's long-awaited Champions League triumph this season. Under the guidance of Luis Enrique, PSG clinched an unprecedented treble, with Dembele earning high praise and a distinct Ballon d'Or tip from his manager.
"I would give the Ballon d'Or to Ousmane Dembele for the way he defended in this final," he said of the 2018 World Cup champion, who notched two assists in PSG's emphatic 5-0 win over Inter Milan. "That's what you call leading a team.
"I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d'Or, without a doubt, not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing. He's done it all season, but exceptionally in this final."
No one else from the 2014 Next Gen stars quite matches up to the Frenchman, who weathered turbulent times at Barcelona, where he won La Liga on three occasions. Yet players like Youri Tielemans and Dominic Solanke have carved out notable careers of their own, with the latter recently securing the Europa League trophy after beating Manchester United.
Tielemans, once a wonderkid at Anderlecht, has been lauded as one of Aston Villa's shrewdest acquisitions in recent memory and is now an integral part of Unai Emery's squad. Solanke, on the other hand, defied underwhelming spells at Chelsea and Liverpool to truly break through at Bournemouth before Spurs sealed a club-record £55million transfer last summer.
Two talents who featured on The Guardian's list now find themselves as team-mates at Saudi side Al-Hilal, who welcomed both Ruben Neves and Malcom in the summer of 2023. The duo, who arrived from Wolves and Zenit St. Petersburg respectively, cost a hefty £100m combined and won the Saudi Pro League in their debut season.
Among the other familiar names on the list are former West Ham midfielder Nikola Vlasic (now at Torino), Flamengo's Gerson, Bournemouth striker Enes Unal and AC Milan's Luka Jovic. However, not every young star tipped for greatness 11 years ago has seen their career go as planned.
Ex-Boca Juniors prodigy Guido Vadala was once voted Argentina's best young player and had stints at Barcelona and Juventus in his teens. But he has become somewhat of a journeyman across South America today and now plays for Bolivian outfit Blooming.
South Korean Seo Jung-hyun was part of the Pohang Steelers squad that triumphed over Manchester City's Under-18s during a tournament in the UAE in 2014. However, five years after The Guardian's list was published, the former midfield gem retired to pursue a coaching career, citing Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann as his inspiration.
The most tragic story from the 2014 class, however, is that of Abdelhak 'Appie' Nouri, who was making a name for himself in Ajax's first team when he suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2017. His life was irrevocably changed as he was forced to retire with permanent brain damage.
He now seeks to raise awareness of heart-related issues in football through his foundation, which aims to install defibrillators at stadiums worldwide.
Full 2014 Next Generation list and where they are now
1. Daniel de Silva (Macarthur FC, Australia)
2. Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa, England)
3. Alveiro Sanchez (Retired in 2019)
4. Malcom (Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
5. Ousmane Dembele (PSG, France)
6. Bozhidar Kraev (Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia)
7. Gerson (Flamengo, Brazil)
8. Dominic Solanke (Tottenham, England)
9. Ante Coric (Varazdin, Croatia)
10. Mikkel Duelund (Aarhus, Denmark)
11. Li Zhongyi (Qinghai Kunlun, China)
12. Guido Vadala (Blooming, Bolivia)
13. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Motor Lublin, Poland)
14. Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig, Germany)
15. Federico Bonnazzoli (Cremonese, Italy)
16. Lazaros Lamprou (Rakow, Poland)
17. Maxime Lopez (Paris FC, France)
18. Nikola Vlasic (Torino, Italy)
19. Benedikt Gimber (Heidenheim, Germany)
20. Ryan Ledson (Huddersfield Town, England)
21. Abdelhak Nouri (Retired due to health in 2017)
22. Daisuke Sakai (PSM Makassar, Indonesia)
23. Erick Aguirre (Monterrey, Mexico)
24. Sander Svendsen (Viking, Norway)
25. Jari Schuurman (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
26. Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
27. Cristian Manea (Rapid Bucuresti, Romania)
28. Luka Jovic (AC Milan, Italy)
29. Dawid Kownacki (Werder Bremen, Germany)
30. Timur Zhamaletdinov (Znamya Truda, Russia)
31. Irfan bin Fandi Ahmad (Port, Thailand)
32. Adrian Marin (Braga, Portugal)
33. Seo Jung-hyun (Retired in 2019)
34. Fagrie Lakay (Cleopatra, Egypt)
35. Julen Arellano (Retired in 2019)
36. Enes Unal (Bournemouth, England)
37. Erik Andersson (Orebro, Sweden)
38. Phan Thanh Hau (Quang Nam, Vietnam)
39. Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos, Greece)
40. Ferran Sarsanedas (Prat, Spain)
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