English football is changing. Not only are the national team now successful on the global stage, but with Brexit steaming towards us the rules and regulations regarding non-English players in the Football League could change soon. There are thousands of scenarios for Brexit built in to FM19, from the very relaxed current system to the extremely strict one that limits you to just a handful of foreign players. With that in mind, it is never a bad idea to look at the up and coming English players no matter if you're managing Manchester City, Oxford United, or England themselves.
How to choose the best English wonderkids in Football Manager 2019
This article will look at the best English wonderkids in FM19. These players are all teenagers when you start a new career and are listed within the game as English. They have a potential ability (PA) of at least 130, making them useful players for nearly every team in the world at some point. The best and brightest teenage talents will not be cheap to sign, but they will soon be brilliant players that can more than return that initial investment for a team. So who are the best English wonderkids?
For a full list of ALL the best English wonderkids in FM19 see the table below at the bottom of the page.
Jadon Sancho (CA 137 - PA 175)
Age: 18
Position: AM (RL), M (RL)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Best Attributes: Agility (18), Acceleration (17), Dribbling (16)
Value: £14 million
Wage: £34,500 a week
Jadon Sancho joined Watford at the age of seven and played with them until he was 14 when he moved to Manchester City. With his progression at City seemingly blocked, Sancho tried to force a move away and in August 2017 Borussia Dortmund signed him for £8 million. He has since made his first-team debut and produced well for the German side as well as winning his first cap for England.
In FM 19 Sancho is a very good player already. He has terrific skill on the ball (16 dribbling, 15 first touch) and impressive burst (18 agility, 17 acceleration). Sancho can create for others (16 technique, 16 flair, 14 vision, 13 crossing, 12 passing) and has an incredibly high ceiling with his 175 potential ability.
Phil Foden (CA 130 - PA 175)
Age: 18
Position: AM (C)
Club: Manchester City
Best Attributes: Vision (16), Flair (16), Agility (16)
Value: £30.5 million
Wage: £12,000 a week
Phil Foden has been with Manchester City for his entire career, joining them at the age of 9. He made his senior debut for the club in November 2017 and has already received rave reviews from manager Pep Guardiola. He is yet to win his first cap for England but it will come soon.
In FM 19 Foden is already a very good creative player (16 flair, 16 vision, 15 dribbling). He can threaten the goal himself (14 long shots) and provide for others at the drop of a hat (15 technique, 15 passing). His ceiling is extremely high and he could soon be one of the best attacking midfielders in the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (CA 146 - PA 170)
Age: 19
Position: D (R), WB (R), DM, M (RC)
Club: Liverpool
Best Attributes: Determination (16), Crossing (15), Pace (15)
Value: £35 million
Wage: £40,000 a week
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been with Liverpool since the age of 6, making his debut for the first team in October 2016. He has since become a regular for Jurgen Klopp, playing nearly 60 games already. He has also broken into the England squad, making his debut in June 2018 and winning a spot in the World Cup squad.
In FM 19 Trent Alexander is already a fantastic defender (14 tacking, 12 marking). He has a lot of speed (15 acceleration, 15 pace) and is superb mentally (16 determination, 15 teamwork, 15 work rate). Alexander-Arnold can move the ball in possession (14 technique, 13 passing) and create chances coming forward too (15 crossing, 13 vision, 13 long shots, 12 finishing).
Reiss Nelson (CA 132 - PA 157)
Age: 18
Position: AM (RC), M (R)
Club: Hoffenheim
Best Attributes:
Value: £14 million
Wage: £30,000 a week
Reiss Nelson joined the Arsenal academy at the age of 9 and quickly rose though the ranks. He made his competitive debut for the first team in the 2017 Community Shield and his Premier League debut in January 2018. For the 2018-19 season Nelson has been loaned out to Hoffenheim.
In FM 19 Reiss Nelson is already a creative force (15 dribbling, 15 technique, 14 first touch, 13 passing) and he can score too (13 finishing, 12 long shots). He has good speed (15 acceleration, 14 pace) and some strong mental attributes too (15 flair, 14 work rate, 14 off the ball).
Josh Tymon (CA 107 - PA 154)
Age: 19
Position: D (L), WB (L), M (L)
Club: Stoke
Best Attributes: Determination (17), Work Rate (15), Bravery (15)
Value: £750,000
Wage: £6,500 a week
Josh Tymon came up through Hull City's youth system and made his senior debut with them in January 2016. He played just a handful of games for Hull before making a £1.6 million move to Stoke City in July 2017. He spent early 2018 on loan with MK Dons to gain more first-team experience.
In Football Manager 2019 Tymon already has some excellent mental attributes (17 determination, 15 work rate, 15 bravery) that will help his development. His defensive stats are good (14 marking, 13 tackling) and he can move the ball too (13 passing, 13 crossing, 12 dribbling).
Ben Wilmot (CA 111 - PA 150)
Age: 18
Position: D (C)
Club: Watford
Best Attributes: Jumping (16), Strength (14), Work Rate (14)
Value: £1.2 million
Wage: £5,000 a week
Ben Wilmot started his career with Stevenage, rising through their youth system to make his debut with them in October 2017 shortly before his 18th birthday. In May 2018 Watford signed Wilmot for an undisclosed fee.
In FM 19 Wilmot already has some solid physical traits (16 jumping, 14 strength) to help fend off attackers. His defensive skills are good (12 tackling, 12 marking) and there is a lot of room for Wilmot to improve in the coming years.
Ryan Sessegnon (CA 137 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 18
Position: D (L), WB (L), AM (L), M (L)
Club: Fulham
Best Attributes: Natural Fitness (17), Stamina (16), Pace (15)
Value: £20 million
Wage: £8,000 a week
Ryan Sessegnon has played his whole career with Fulham, joining them at the age of 8. Sessegnon made his debut with Fulham in August 2016 at just 16 years old, and since then has gone on to be a regular for Fulham, racking up nearly 100 appearances for them already. He is yet to win his first England cap, but in 2018 he made it to the Under-21 side.
In FM 19 Ryan Sessegnon can run all day (17 natural fitness, 16 stamina, 15 pace, 15 acceleration) and has some strong mental attributes too (15 off the ball, 14 vision, 14 composure). He is solid on the ball already (14 technique, 13 dribbling, 12 passing) and can even find the back of the net too (13 finishing).
Emile Smith-Rowe (CA 126 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 17
Position: AM (RLC)
Club: Arsenal
Best Attributes: Agility (17), Acceleration (16), Determination (16)
Value: £4.5 million
Wage: £8,000 a week
Emile Smith-Rowe joined Arsenal at the age of 10. He has played for them ever since, and while he is yet to make his senior team debut, he has joined the team on pre-season tours and Unai Emery has been glowing about his future.
In FM 19 Smith-Rowe is fast (16 acceleration, 15 pace) and can already keep up in possession (14 technique, 13 passing, 13 dribbling, 12 crossing). He has the mental attributes required to build toward the top of his potential range as well (16 determination, 15 flair, 14 vision, 14 teamwork).
Eddie Nketiah (CA 125 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 19
Position: AM (RL), ST
Club: Arsenal
Best Attributes: Acceleration (17), Pace (16), Off The Ball (15)
Value: £8.5 million
Wage: £8,000 a week
Eddie Nketiah started his career with Chelsea, joining them when he was just 9, but he was released at under-14 level and ended up joining Arsenal. In that time Nketiah has made just three appearances for the Arsenal first team and reached the England Under-21 team.
In Football Manager 2019 Nketiah is a fast striker (17 acceleration, 16 pace) who is already good in front of goal (14 finishing, 13 first touch, 13 dribbling). He has some well-developed mental attributes too (15 off the ball, 15 work rate, 14 determination) and a lot of growth ahead of him if handled correctly.
Reece Oxford (CA 122 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 19
Position: D (C), DM
Club: West Ham
Best Attributes: Jumping (16), Bravery (15), Tackling (15)
Value: £5.5 million
Wage: £20,000 a week
Reece Oxford joined West Ham at the age of 12 and made his competitive first team debut at 16 in July 2015. In June 2017 he was sent on loan to Borussia Monchengladbach for more experience.
In FM 19 Oxford already has well developed defensive skills (15 tackling, 14 marking) and is pretty good on the ball too (13 passing, 12 technique, 11 first touch). Oxford has a few very strong mental attributes (15 determination, 15 bravery, 14 teamwork) too.
All the best England wonderkids in Football Manager 2019
Name | Pos | Club | Age | CA | PA/PA Range | Value | Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jadon Sancho | AM (LR), M (RL) | Borussia Dortmund | 18 | 137 | 175 | £14m | £34.5k |
Phil Foden | AM (C) | Man City | 18 | 130 | 175 | £30.5m | £12k |
Trent Alexander-Arnold | D (R), WB (R), DM, M (RC) | Liverpool | 19 | 146 | 170 | £3m | £40k |
Reiss Nelson | AM (RC), M (R) | TSG Hoffenheim | 18 | 132 | 157 | £14m | £30k |
Josh Tymon | D (L), WB (L), M (L) | Stoke | 19 | 107 | 154 | £750k | £6.5k |
Ben Wilmot | D (C) | Watford | 18 | 111 | 150 | £1.2m | £5k |
Ryan Sessegnon | D (L), WB (L), AM (L), M (L) | Fulham | 18 | 137 | >140 | £20m | £8k |
Emile Smith-Rowe | AM (LRC) | Arsenal | 17 | 126 | >140 | £4.5m | £8k |
Eddie Nketiah | AM (LR), ST | Arsenal | 19 | 125 | >140 | £8.5m | £4k |
Reece Oxford | D (C), DM | West Ham | 19 | 122 | >140 | £5.5m | £20k |