Trying to keep a lid on expectations around England’s current crop of Under 19s is becoming harder and harder with every passing week.
This is an age group that has dazzled scouts and youth football experts since Under-16 level, while the recent additions of Max Dowman (15), Jeremy Monga (16) and Rio Ngumoha (17) has catapulted it into one of the most talented youth sides in the world.
Many of the group are around some of England’s biggest clubs’ first teams and on a technical level few of their peers can get near them. The big challenge now for boss Will Antwi is trying to work out how to piece the puzzle together.
‘The biggest issue, and we’ve had it before with England teams, is yes we have all these high potential players and it is a talented group but not all of them can play,’ the Secret Scout, a prominent youth football analyst, tells Daily Mail Sport.
‘That’s Will’s biggest thing now. You’ve got Ngumoha, Dowman, Shim Mheuka (of Chelsea), Mikey Moore (of Spurs), they’re not all going to be able to fit in the same team.
‘That’s what they have to work on… who do you pick? And don’t be afraid to leave players out also. It’s a good problem to have.’
The options available to Antwi, who likes to play a 4-3-3 system, are endless and this is a group that is looking ahead both to the Under-19 Euros in Wales in 2026 and the Under-21 Euros in two years’ time, when many of this group will likely have stepped up into Lee Carsley’s side. Here, Daily Mail Sport takes a closer look at six of the Under 19s’ biggest talents, that many believe have superstar potential for club and country…
MAX DOWMAN
Age: 15 Position: Attacking midfielder Club: Arsenal
Jumping up multiple age groups and playing senior football for a team leading the Premier League table, nobody needs introducing to Max Dowman.
He had Real Madrid scouts purring during the Under 19s’ previous camp in Spain and those same scouts are ready to descend en masse to Marbella this weekend for games against Belgium and Wales.
Arsenal’s Max Dowman is one of the brightest talents of his generation and has already caught the eye of Real Madrid scouts
Dowman is very strong for his age and has a poise that belies his years; his playing style is influenced by his Arsenal team-mate Martin Odegaard
‘Everyone in the youth football world loves this boy,’ says Secret Scout. ‘Max is so deceptive with the speed of him. You don’t expect it. He’s got the balance, the ability to finish… the challenge now is how do you maintain his level and avoid a drop-off after early exposure.’
Dowman is very strong for his age and has a poise that belies his years; a style that is influenced in part by Arsenal team-mate Martin Odegaard, in the manner he glides past opponents.
‘He’s the best player England has produced since Wayne Rooney,’ Secret Scout adds. ‘When you can play at this level right now at 15, he’s younger than Rooney was (when he broke through) and Rooney was more of a man physically than Max.
‘He’s a bit of a freak! It’s important how we look after him and develop him.’
Many believe it is imperative that England find a way to eventually build around Dowman with him playing as a No 10, rather than wider or as a No 8 midfielder.
‘He can play either side but I’d love to see him central and for me that’s his best position,’ Secret Scout adds. ‘We need to drip feed him in certain games. I don’t think he has to start every game, he should get exposure in different scenarios, like changing a game from the bench.’
The hype-meter is close to breaking point with Dowman… but so far he’s shown no signs of shying away from the spotlight.
JEREMY MONGA
Age: 16 Position: Winger Club: Leicester
Monga was a curious one with England because while he thrived for Leicester City at younger age levels, he rarely stood out with the national team.
That was until one Under-16s camp in Pinatar when everyone in attendance left in awe of Monga’s dazzling displays.
Jeremy Monga is seen as a ‘really big talent who can play left, right or central’
There was a wealth of Premier League interest in Monga over the summer
‘He played more centrally and he was just unbelievable in that camp,’ Secret Scout explains. ‘His receiving skills, playing in between the lines… he picked the ball up in any scenario under pressure and he just had that arrogance.’
Monga had managed to graduate to Leicester’s first team by this stage, typically playing on the left wing, but figures at the FA remarked how playing senior club football had unlocked another level in the 16-year-old’s game.
There was a wealth of Premier League interest in Monga over the summer and as enticing as that was, there is palpable relief that he is continuing his development as a regular starter for Leicester. He is one who is already being earmarked for that Under-21 Euros title defence in two years’ time.
‘He’s a really big talent and he can play left, right or central,’ says Secret Scout. ‘His best position? I don’t think he has one – he can impact the game across all three areas and he’s just a super talent.’
STEPHEN MFUNI
Age: 17 Position: Centre back Club: Manchester City
In the modern game, a high-level left-footed centre back is worth their weight in gold and that is why there is so much expected of Mfuni going forward.
The teenager was City’s youngest player on tour two summers ago at just 16 and he has continued to stay in the orbit of the first team ever since.
His biggest strength is bringing the ball out from the back and while he still has a need to fine-tune his game, like any young defender, he has drawn comparisons with Chelsea and England star Levi Colwill.
In the modern game, a high-level left-footed centre back is worth their weight in gold and that is why there is so much expected of Stephen Mfuni going forward
Mfuni has drawn comparisons with Chelsea and England star Levi Colwil
The big challenge now for Mfuni is that – given he plays in City youth teams that dominate games week in, week out – to maximise his potential with England, he is likely going to need to test himself out on loan like many senior internationals have done over the years.
‘You look at Championship defenders that come through – John Stones, Harry Maguire, Ezri Konsa, Joe Gomez – clubs seem to buy them later on,’ says Secret Scout.
‘For Mfuni – who had interest in the summer – he is going to have to find a loan move because it’s a bit of a false reality at Man City. He is a really good player and if you’re left-footed, it’s a real luxury.’
SHIM MHEUKA
Age: 17 Position: Striker Club: Chelsea
Interestingly, in younger age groups, coaches would deploy Mheuka as a centre back due to his size advantage over his peers.
By Under 12s and Under 13s he moved forward into a midfield role, both as a No 8 and a No 10, and is now at a stage where he is a goal machine for Chelsea and England as a No 9.
‘I coached him at U13s, U14s and U15s and he loves playing as a No 10 – that’s why he’s so good in possession, because he played there,’ Secret Scout explains.
‘He’s not just a big striker. People say, “Oh he’s just big”. But actually if you watch his game closely, he plays like a small No 10.
‘He probably didn’t use his strength enough in the younger age groups so that’s why he’s reliable in possession.’
Shim Mheuka was used as a centre back in his younger days but is now a goal machine for England and Chelsea
But does Mheuka need to leave Chelsea and secure guaranteed first-team football to fulfil his enormous potential?
The lack of No 9s coming through the FA pathway is certainly an area of concern and it will be interesting if Mheuka remains as a No 9 or pushes to play behind a striker, in a similar way to his Chelsea team-mate Joao Pedro, who prefers to play behind a centre forward like Liam Delap.
The main concern around Mheuka, who already has 15 goals for club and country by mid-October, is whether he can consistently break into Chelsea’s first team.
Were he to play abroad, there is a sense in academy circles that his value could rocket to that of a £30million player at 17. ‘If Shim was in Belgium or the Netherlands playing games and scoring goals, he’d be worth £20-30million and that’s the issue our young players have,’ says Secret Scout.
‘The talent is there but how do you break through into the toughest league in the world?’
Mheuka is a super talent but England need him playing at the highest level to ensure both the player and the national team reap the rewards of his talent.
RIO NGUMOHA
Age: 17 Position: Attacking midfielder Club: Liverpool
Ngumoha’s last-minute winner on his Premier League debut away at St James’ Park was one of the stories of the season so far.
The 17-year-old is the breakout player of the season to date and has impressed Reds boss Arne Slot so much that he is now a permanent fixture around the first team.
Humility is one of Ngumoha’s biggest strengths, according to those that work closely with him.
Rio Ngumoha celebrates his last-minute winner away to Newcastle earlier this season, the goal that announced him to the nation as a massive talent
In Liverpool boss Arne Slot, Ngumoha has a fantastic head coach to develop under
Ngumoha, who signed a first professional deal just a few weeks ago, was promoted to England Under 19s in the last camp after initially being called up to the Under 18s and the expectation now is that he won’t look back.
He is best deployed off the left wing in Antwi’s 4-3-3 and on a technical level is regarded as one of the most talented in the whole age group – which checks out given he was playing Premier League and Champions League football as a 16-year-old.
DIVINE MUKASA
Age: 18 Position: Midfielder Club: Manchester City
At Manchester City, Mukasa has been a huge hit. A member of City staff recently remarked to Daily Mail Sport that Mukasa ‘just looks like a first-team player’. It is one of the reasons why he has left such a lasting impression on boss Pep Guardiola.
At England youth level, Mukasa may not have stolen the show too often but his value is that he is so, so consistent and is showing an increasing ability to dazzle with his technique.
‘Look at Nico O’Reilly, Divine, they are there because they are reliable,’ says Secret Scout. ‘They need to fill a spot (at City), they can’t always just sign players, so they will look to some of the youth players. Divine is ready at this moment. He’s ready to impact their games.’
There are those in youth football circles that believe a loan move away from City will be key to Mukasa unlocking his full potential – Cardiff City wanted him in the summer – but right now Guardiola is eager to have him working closely and the idea was swiftly dismissed.
Cardiff City wanted to sign Manchester City prospect Divine Mukasa (right) on loan in the summer but Pep Guardiola was eager to keep the midfielder around his first-team squad
Mukasa (right) celebrates with fellow prospect Mheuka after the latter’s goal against Ukraine for the Under 19s last month
Mukasa has continued to show improvement with England and his emergence with City has helped exponentially.
‘He’s definitely got better with England,’ Secret Scout adds. ‘He was playing but was never really seen as one of the main players.
‘But now you see when you play at first-team level, you jump ahead of others. He now has the confidence to impact games. The way he plays, he’s not easy to see and spot, “Oh my god what an unbelievable talent”, but it might be his movement, his positioning, his touch, the little things.
‘To play for Guardiola you’ve got to be a top player. Look at someone like Frenkie de Jong. When you go to games, you appreciate players like him as a top, top footballer and Divine might be that player when you watch him live.’
