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Wales Online
3 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
The hottest Welsh football prospects you are about to hear a lot more of
The hottest Welsh football prospects you are about to hear a lot more of Craig Bellamy has one eye on Welsh football's future and there are some bright young things starting to burst through Brayden Clarke of Arsenal (Image: Getty Images ) The future of Welsh football looks promising under the management of Craig Bellamy. The Wales boss has enjoyed an unprecedented eight-game unbeaten run which has kicked off the manager's stint, but with the World Cup qualifiers lying in wait, big challenges are ahead. Bellamy, though, is not content with focussing simply on the here and now, he has grander, longer-term plans for the national team. In the last fortnight, he called up a number of under-19s and under-21s talents to train with the first-team squad in Cardiff and in Spain as the former Newcastle and Liverpool forward looks to the future. So, the question is, who are these new talents who are likely to be brought into the fold? One of Wales's most promising young guns is Arsenal defender Brayden Clarke. The 17-year-old has started at both centre-back and full-back for the Gunners' under-18 side, with a total of 17 appearances to his name in the Under-18 Premier League last season. Clarke's potential has been noticed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who included the Welshman in his matchday squad to face Bournemouth in early May. Article continues below He has also featured for Wales' under-19s, starting in the 2-0 loss to England back in March. Down the other end of the pitch, Wales have an extremely talented striker in Gabriele Biancheri. The 18-year-old is currently in the Manchester United ranks and has scored 10 goals in 10 starts in the Under-18 Premier League. The Welshman's side ended up finishing second in the league, two points behind city rivals Manchester City. Biancheri will be hoping that the Welsh manager has taken note of his impressive season and perhaps gain his first international call up of his career. However, there are complications afoot, with the forward having trained with Jesse Marsch's Canadian national team following his stint in the Wales camp. Biancheri qualifies for Wales, Italy and Canada and while he is still young, and Bellamy appears relaxed about the situation, his international future is still up for grabs, it would seem. Meanwhile, in that Manchester City side which beat Biancheri's United to the title plays another of Wales' brightest talents. Goalkeeper Max Hudson led his City side to league title glory from the back, with the 18-year-old only conceding 10 goals in his 15 league appearances this season. In that time, he kept eight clean sheets. However, he had to compete for his spot with Englishman Oliver Whatmuff, who accrued nine league appearances. As for talents from the capital, Cardiff City are now beginning to provide some of Wales' most promising players. Indeed, after impressing during the training camp, Ronan Kpakio who has been called up by Bellamy for the June international fixtures against Liechtenstein and Belgium. The right-back has been called up after a breakthrough season, making six appearances for the Cardiff senior team – which would likely have been more had he not sustained a nasty ligament injury in January. Another player from the Bluebirds catching the eye is Joel Colwill. The 20-year-old has had a busy season with two loan stints, firstly out to League two side Cheltenham, where he achieved nine goal contributions in 22 appearances. After Christmas, his next loan took him to Exeter, where he was unable to register a goal, however, was able to start nine games and get a total of 18 appearances for the League one side, taking his total to 44 appearances for the season. There are also a couple of Swans youngsters catching the eye. Wideman Sam Parker has seen his development stunted a little by injury, but remains a highly-rated prospect, and could well be heavily involved in boss Alan Sheehan's plans next season. Midfielder Cameron Congreve is another whose stock has risen recently, particularly after a strong loan spell at Bromley, where he made 13 goal contributions in 47 games. More of a well-known name among Wales fans, and a really exciting prospect to boot, is Liverpool's Lewis Koumas. The winger has been on loan for the duration of the 2024/25 season at Championship side Stoke City. The Welshman collected a total of 26 starts for the Potters, with 43 appearances overall. In those matches he got three goals and two assists, one of those being a sensationally-taken scorpion kick against Bristol City. However, the 19-year-old's flare and control is arguably the reason why he already has five Welsh caps to his name. The final talent on the list is the talented Cruz Allen. The 18-year-old has played 27 times for Derby's under 18s this season, most of them coming in the Premier League 2, Division 1 where he produced seven goal contributions in 17 games. He also has three age-grade Welsh caps to his name, all coming in the Under 17 European Championship back in 2021, where he scored one goal. Article continues below Just this select group of players alone proves the talent Wales have in the making, with many more gifted youngsters playing in the ranks of some of the best teams in England and Wales. While all eyes zero in on World Cup qualification, an interesting sub-plot will be if, or perhaps when, Bellamy starts to turn to the next crop bursting through.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who is Man City FA Cup hero Nico O'Reilly?
"He's going to play in the semi-final, for sure," said Pep Guardiola after Nico O'Reilly saved Manchester City's FA Cup skins for the second round in a row. The City manager may have been half-joking - with the words accompanied by a huge smile and laugh - but 20-year-old O'Reilly has certainly added to his growing reputation. Advertisement O'Reilly, who has yet to start a Premier League game, came off the bench at half-time to assist two goals in Sunday's 2-1 comeback win at Bournemouth. In the previous round he scored twice as they came from behind to beat Plymouth 3-1. O'Reilly also netted in the 8-0 win over Salford in round three. BBC Sport looks at the youngster's career. Scorpion kick and 12 years at City - who is O'Reilly? O'Reilly joined City as an eight-year-old, having also been scouted by Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. He signed his first professional contract in July 2022, alongside 10 other players, including Rico Lewis. Advertisement In 2022-23 O'Reilly made headlines with two remarkable goals in the Under-18 Premier League - a stoppage-time scorpion kick winner against Middlesbrough and 40-yard strike against Manchester United - and ended the season as an unused sub for the first team against Brighton. Last season his development was hindered by injury but he still scored from near the halfway line for City's under-23 team against Nottingham Forest. In the summer he impressed Guardiola on City's pre-season tour of the United States - and started the Community Shield win over Manchester United. O'Reilly has played in the Premier League and Champions League from the bench this season and started in the Carabao Cup - but his headline acts have been in the FA Cup. Advertisement With three goals and two assists in four games, only Exeter's Josh Magennis has been involved in more FA Cup proper goals this season. Defence, midfield and attack - what position is he? Nico O'Reilly's touch map against Bournemouth [BBC] Anyone coming through the academy at a Guardiola club would be best placed to be flexible - and 6ft 2in O'Reilly matches that description. He is a midfielder - and an attacking midfielder at that - by trade. City's website says he is "able to operate in a number of attacking positions". Yet in pre-season, with Rodri absent, O'Reilly featured as a defensive midfielder alongside Mateo Kovacic in a friendly against Barcelona - in which he scored - and against United in the Community Shield. Advertisement O'Reilly played as a centre-back against Salford and as a left-back when he replaced Abdukodir Khusanov at half-time against Bournemouth. O'Reilly enjoyed a huge amount of joy down the left, with a cross to assist Erling Haaland and pass to play in Omar Marmoush. New City deal? Chelsea? What is his future? BBC chief football news reporter Simon Stone said: "He had his contract updated in 2023 but there are likely to be talks about an improved deal in light of recent performances. "There was interest from Chelsea in the winter window but never close." Had O'Reilly, who is under contract until 2028, joined Chelsea, he would have followed fellow City academy product Cole Palmer. Advertisement Palmer has scored 39 goals in 78 games and become an England regular since his 2023 move. 'I'm just grateful for the opportunities' - what he says O'Reilly spoke to BBC Sport after his man-of-the-match performance on Sunday. "My instructions were to get involved as much as I can - in the attacking phase and securing the defending phase," he said. "It was good to get the contributions with the two assists. I was buzzing. "Towards the start it was a bit challenging because I've not really played there, but I know what I need to do there and I'm just buzzing I can play. Advertisement "I'm just grateful for the opportunities I get from the manager and to play with the players who are out there." 'He changed the game' - what they say After the Bournemouth game Guardiola said: "Against Plymouth he scored two goals. Today he made the assists. "He's a number 10, we cannot forget. But he has the pace, he is so intelligent and quality with the ball. "In the final third he has vision. He played really good and had an impact." City midfielder Bernardo Silva said: "He was unbelievable. "Against Plymouth he showed the impact he can have on the game and the energy he brought today changed the game. That's what we need." Will O'Reilly play in the semi-finals? City play Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals at Wembley in late April. Advertisement It may not have been a serious promise from Guardiola, but it seems likely that O'Reilly will feature at some stage. No player remaining in the FA Cup has more goals than his three this season.
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Former Chelsea academy star retires at 24 for shock new career.... as he claims new venture is 'destiny'
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tie has retired at the age of 24 to join the French army. Tie represented a number of the Blues' academy teams for three years having joined the club in 2017, and featured in Premier League 2, UEFA Youth League and Under-18 Premier League fixtures. However, he was unable to make his breakthrough into the first team, with the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero ahead of him in the packing order at the time. Born in France, Tie was called up to the Ivory Coast squad in 2018 but was forced to withdraw due to injury. He was later selected for the 2020 Olympics. The former shotstopper departed Chelsea that year to join Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, where he failed to break into the first team over three years. He has now called time on his career for a new venture in the French Army. Tie told Ouest France: 'I've had some good tests and I've got the regiment I asked for. 'I'm ready, I'm training every day for this.' Asked why he has called time on his football career, Tie responded: 'I lost my taste for football. 'I'm athletic, I didn't see myself doing an office job. I always liked military careers, so I said to myself: "Why not join the army?" 'My stepfather is a paratrooper in Ivory Coast. I used to go to the barracks to observe, it inspired me.' Tie enlisted in the French Army's First Parachute Hussar Regiment on April 1 and says he is prepared for anything. He said: 'I don't do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at the source. If the OPEX (external operation) in Ukraine is launched, let's go. It doesn't scare me.' Tie also acknowledges that breaking into Chelsea's first team felt nearly impossible, and seeing his friends from France's national football center at Clairefontaine succeed made it even harder. On his spell with the Blues, he added: 'There, I was always treated like the club's kid. I was upgraded in every category, from U13 to Premier League 2. 'But I saw all my friends from Clairefontaine, Sofiane Diop, Benoît Badiashile, and Lorenz Assignon making their Ligue 1 debuts, which made me want to try my hand at that level.
