As 2018 draws to a close, we begin to look back on that year that was.
And once again we’ve had 12 months that have seen an exciting new generation emerge.
Spearheading the English in Goal’s list of best players born on or after January 1, 1999, who were rated on their performances and achievements during the current calendar year, is Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.
The former Man City man is leading Europe’s top five leagues in the assists charts for players born in the 2000s.
19-year-old on-loan Arsenal starlet Reiss Nelson has also sparkled in Germany, with Hoffenheim, and only Kylian Mbappe bettering him in goals by teenagers in Europe’s to 5 leagues this year.
The Bundesliga is fast-becoming the place to be for young talent, where Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz became the fastest player to 10 assists in BuLi history.
In Italy, Gianluigi Donnarumma continues to make save after save and in Netherlands, Matthijs de Ligt’s stats back up his reputation as the smart-passing defender that seemingly all of Europe want to wrestle from Ajax this summer.