READY TO SHINEAT WEMBLEY

READY TO SHINEAT WEMBLEY

8-PAGE SPECIAL

BlackStars setfor theirEngland

challenge

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011

INSIDE� Player profiles

� Ghana’s World Cup pain and glory

� Arthur Wharton remembered

� England’s pride of young lions

By Rodney Hinds

ENGLAND SUFFERED likealmost no other nation duringlast summer’s World Cup.

Expectation was just toomuch for Fabio Capello’s squad.There was genuine hope that, atlast, the Three Lions would trulyroar at a tournament. Alas, theyfailed once again todeliver and now alleyes turn to thefuture.

On March 29 theyface a Ghana side onwhich there was littleif any expectation,and therein liesmaybe the key toEngland’s perennialunderachievement.

Ghana’s success in SouthAfrica stemmed from their abil-ity to fuse established playerswith those that represent thenext generation.

Only now, and England’s lineup against the Black Stars

should hopefully prove it, areEngland looking to give youth achance.

Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere andAshley Young representEngland’s future.

Add the likes of GlenJohnson, Darren Bent andJermain Defoe, who have sound

club and interna-tioinal experience,and England dohave the nucleus ofa squad that canmake an impres-sion.

The old guard ofJohn Terry, StevenGerrard and FrankLampard still have

a role to play but how muchmore do we need to know aboutthem?

Or is it a case that individualswant to do a Beckham and wantto reach the coveted 100-capmark in order to boost thechance of marketing deals?

England need to be bold ifthey are to repeat their much-chronicled 1966 success in theWorld Cup.

Blinkers have been put on bythe game’s establishment sincethe Premier League became thebest in the world.

The best league has been tothe detriment of the nationalside and only through affirma-tive action – giving talented

youth a

genuine chance – willthings and, more impor-tantly, results change.

Ghana on the other handnurture quietly with their talentgoing abroad to pick up vitalexperience and that hasshowed.

The Black Stars had thefootball world gripped

as they took on so-called more recog-nised football

nations and put them tothe sword last year.

That success hasensured that the fix-ture at Wembley was

sold out in rapidtime. Ghana, forso long in the

wilderness,are now a

big draw. It is not everyday thatan African country is invited toplay at the home of football.

Doubtless the visitors willlook to beat their hosts. It wouldbe a result to tell their respectivegrand-children about.

The Ghanaians, with justAsamoah Gyan up front, willlook to defend well and do whatthey did so well last summer, hitteams on the counter.

They surprised manyobservers with their individualand collective discipline. Theywill need to repeat that atWembley where the atmospheregenerated by their very ownfans will be fever pitch.

There are just 10 placesbetween England and theirAfrican foes in the FIFA worldrankings with the teams listed

sixth and 16th respectively.After what should be a pul-sating and passionate 90

minutes I would expect therankings to be a lot closer.

2222 � TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

Capello should give youth a chance‘The managerneeds to be

bold in orderto repeat

1966success’

UNDER PRESSURE:Capello

TAKE TWO:Wilshire and Walcott

FUTURE:Young

* ABEDI AYEW, bet-ter known as AbediPele, is Ghana’sall-time topgoalscorer with 33i n t e r na t i ona lgoals. Pele isthe father oftwo currentBlack StarsAndre andJordan Ayew.

* Blackpool goal-keeper Richard

Kingson is the mostcapped Ghanaianplayer with 84. The32-year-old made

his debut forGhana in 1996.

* Ghanahave won theAfrican Cupof Nationsfour times.Only Egyptwith sevenc h a m p i -o n s h i p

wins have more.* Dubbed the Black

Meteors, Ghana’s Olympicfootball team of 1992claimed a bronze medal,becoming the first Africanside to do so in Olympicfootball.

* Ghana’s under-20 side,nicknamed the BlackSatellites, lifted the under-20World Cup in 2009. They arethe first African team to doso.

* John Barnes previously

held therecord goalstally for England bya black player with11. Jermain Defoe

now has 15.* The most capped black

England footballer is AshleyCole who has 87 caps.

* Luther Blissett was thefirst black footballer to scorea hat-trick for England. Heachieved this feat againstLuxembourg in 1982.

* Manchester Unitedplayer Rio Ferdinand’s £29million transfer from Leedsto United in 2002 is still thehighest price paid for anEnglish defenderer.

* Aged 17 years and 75days, Theo Walcott, is theyoungest Englishman to rep-resent the Three Lions.

Did You Know?Both Englandand Ghana havea rich footballhistory. BenLettman delvesinto the historybooks…

GOALS :Barnes

LEGEND: Pele

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011

TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 - 30, 2011 � 23

ONLY THE thickness of a cross-bar and the hands of a villain tomany [but a hero to some]were the difference betweenGhana reaching the semi-finals.

To explain why I picked Ghanato be the tournament’s surprisepackage, I first have to rewindyour memory back to five yearsago.

At the 2006 World Cup inGermany, Ghana, who weremaking their World Cup debut,were eliminated in the secondround by an inspired Braziliancombination of Ronaldo andAdriano.

But the likes of AsamoahGyan, Michael Essien and SulleyMuntari impressed and gainedpriceless international experienceat the highest level. This wouldkeep them in good stead fouryears later.

Additionally, in 2009 theGhanaian Under-20 side, better

known as the Black Satellites,won the Under-20 World Cup,beating no less than Brazil in thefinal.

Like many African sides andunlike England, Ghana have noqualms fielding youngsters aslong as they are good enough.

With this knowledge I knew itwas inevitable that then BlackStars manager Milovan Rajevacwould combine the experiencedveterans of the 2006 campaignwith the championship winningSatellite side and the rest as theysay is history!

As a lone striker Gyan causedhavoc and his second round win-ning goal against the UnitedStates highlighted this whileyoungsters such as Andre Ayew,Anthony Annan and JonathanMensah brought a youthful exu-berance to the team.

In the most memorable gameof South Africa 2010, Ghana

were 1-1 with Uruguay afterextra-time at the quarter-finalstage and Dominic Adiyah’sgoal-bound header was inten-tionally handledon theline

b yL u i sSuarez who hasnow joinedLiverpool.

Suarez was subsequently sentoff and Gyan - if he had con-verted his penalty - would havesent the Black Stars through tothe semi-finals – something thatno African team has done before.

However, the Sunderlandstriker’s shot smacked the cross-bar and went over, to the dismayof an entire continent andbeyond.

Ghana subsequently lost thefollowing penalty shoot-out4-2 but gained global praisefor their performances.

The 2014 World Cup takesplace in Brazil and, even

though the likes of Essien,Muntari and Stephen Appiahwill probably have retired bythen, who’s to say that Ghanacannot reach the semi-final inthree years time?

My crystal ball, which hasserved me so well, tells me it’shighly possible...

As predicted by the Voice of Sport’s Ben Lettman, Ghana exceeded expectations at lastyear’s World Cup. Here he recalls how the African nation lit up last summer’s global showcase…

TALENT: Ayew

BRIGHT SATELLITE:Annan was inspira-tional at the WorldCup

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011Ghana had the world at their feetGhana had the world at their feet

2244 � TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 -30, 2011

By Ben Lettman

Englaanndd ssquadGoalkeepers:

BEN FOSTER (BIRMINGHAM)A man-of-the-match performance

against Arsenal in last month’sLeague Cup final triumph reinforcesFoster’s England credentials.

ROBERT GREEN (WEST HAM)

Has performed admirably for theHammers this season but last year’sWorld Cup blunder still sits in thememory banks.

JOE HART (MANCHESTER CITY)

As long as the 23-year-old staysfit, Hart will be England’s first choicegoalkeeper for years to come.

Defenders: LEIGHTON BAINES

(EVERTON)

A free-kick specialist, Baines is anexemplary crosser of the ball but isinexperienced at international level.

GARY CAHILL (BOLTON)

A throwback to the old fashionedEnglish centre back, the 25-year-oldhas a keen eye for goal.

ASHLEY COLE (CHELSEA)

Still recognised by many as thebest left-back in the world, Cole willlikely start against the Black Stars.

MICHAEL DAWSON(TOTTENHAM)

With Rio Ferdinand still outinjured Spurs captain Dawson is thelikely option to partner Terry.

PHIL JAGIELKA (EVERTON),

Another contender to partnerTerry, Jagielka’s versatility makeshim a valuable asset to any squad.

GLEN JOHNSON (LIVERPOOL),An elegant attacker, Johnson has

made the right-back position his ownand England look frail when he is absent.

JOLEON LESCOTT(MANCHESTER CITY),

Although Lescott does not featurein every game for City, his ability toplay at centre back and left-backmeans that he can provide cover.

JOHN TERRY (CHELSEA, CAPTAIN),

Fabio Capello has once againgiven Terry the captain’s arm-band and the Chelsea defenderwill lead his country atWembley.

KYLE WALKER (ASTON VILLA)

Capped at under-21 levelfor the Three Lions, the 20-year-old will be hoping to makehis debut in front of 80,000spectators.

Midfielders: GARETH BARRY

(MANCHESTER CITY)

Perhaps fortunate to remain asa starter after an unimpressiveWorld Cup, Barry is closing inon making a half-century ofinternational appearances.

STEWART DOWNING(ASTON VILLA),

The naturally left footedDowning has yet to stamp hisauthority on international footballand needs to perform to remain inthe squad.

MATT JARVIS (WOLVES),

Jarvis’s trickery and final ballmeant that it was virtually impossi-ble for England boss Fabio Capellonot to pick 24-year-old.

FRANK LAMPARD (CHELSEA)

Having missed the majority of theseason through injury, it is no sur-prise that Chelsea have closed thegap to league leaders ManchesterUnited thanks to Lampard’s re-emer-gence.

AARON LENNON (TOTTENHAM),

Due to the multitude of classyright wingers, Lennon has his workcut out if he wants to start.

JAMES MILNER(MANCHESTER CITY)

City’s £28 million signing hasplayed in a number of positions forboth club and country but is not aguaranteed starter.

SCOTT PARKER(WEST HAM)

The combatitive midfielder hasbattled all season long to lift theHammers above the relegation zoneand his efforts have been rewardedwith further international honours.

ASHLEY YOUNG(ASTON VILLA)

The skillful 25-year-old’s ability toplay on either flank or just behindthe striker gives Capello another use-ful attacking option.

JACK WILSHERE (ARSENAL)

Dubbed the saviour of Englishfootball, Wilshere has excelledfor the Gunners this season and

plays with an enthusiasmthat has not been seen forEngland since the emer-gence of Wayne Rooney.

Strikers:DARREN BENT

(ASTON VILLA)

Although Bent was over-looked by Capello for last

year’s World Cup, the 27-year-old has enjoyed his recent run of

games for the Three Lions.

ANDY CARROLL (LIVERPOOL)

Since his £35 milliontransfer from Newcastle to

Liverpool in January, injuryhas restricted the 22-year-old to ahandful of appearances.

PETER CROUCH (TOTTENHAM)

Despite a stellar internationalrecord of 22 goals in 42 appearances,Crouch rarely starts for England.

JERMAIN DEFOE(TOTTENHAM)

Although Defoe has been goal-shyby his high standards this season, heis still a lethal forward.

WAYNE ROONEY (MANCHESTER UNITED)

When on form the mercurial 25-year-old is undoubtedly England’sbest player. However, when Rooneydoes not perform, England also falter.

Ghana SquadGoalkeepers:

RICHARD KINGSON(BLACKPOOL)

Ghana’s undisputed number one‘keeper played in every minute oftheir 2010 World Cup campaign.

SAMMY ADJEI (HEARTS OF OAK)

Kingson’s immediate understudyhas almost 40 caps to his name.

ERNEST SOWAH (BEREKUMCHELSEA)

The 22-year-old isGhana’s third choice stopper.

Defenders:JOHN PAINTSIL

(FULHAM)

A veteran of English foot-ball of five years, the right-back is one of the most

experienced Ghanaian player.

SAMUEL INKOOM (DNIPRO DNIPROPETROVSK)

Inkoom plays his club football atDnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraineand featured in two of Ghana’s fiveWorld Cup fixtures.

DANIEL OPARE(STANDARD LIEGE)

A product of Ajax’s illustriousfootball academy, the 20-year-oldwas a key apart of the Ghana squadthat finished fourth at the under-17World Cup in 2007.

DAVID ADDY (ACADEMICA COIMBRA)

Currently on loan from Porto toAcademica Coimbra, the 21-year-oldleft-back was a part of the 2009under-20 World Cup winning side.

JOHN MENSAH (SUNDERLAND, CAPTAIN)

The Sunderland centre back willlead the Black Stars against England.

ISAAC VORSAH (HOFFENHEIM)

The experienced Bundesliga com-petitor was in last year’s World Cupsquad but only featured in twogames.

JONATHAN MENSAH (GRANADA)

Despite his youth, the 20-year-oldlooked mature beyond his tenderyear at last year’s World Cup.

LEE ADDY (RED STARBELGRADE)

Addy isanother left-

back who plyshis trade in Serbia.

Midfielders:ANTHONY ANNAN

(SCHALKE 04)Arguably Ghana’s best player at

last year’s World Cup in SouthAfrica, Annan’s skill and stamina issomething to be admired.

EMMANUEL AGYEMANG-BADU(UDINESE)

The 20-year-old is a national heroafter scoring the winning penalty inthe final of the under-20 World Cupagainst Brazil.

BERNARD KUMORDZI(PANIONIOS)

An ankle injury deniedKumordzi the opportunity to com-pete at last year’s World Cup inSouth Africa.

KWADWO ASAMOAH (UDINESE)

Recently linked to bothManchester City and Tottenham,Asamoah has been the main reasonwhy Italian club Udinese have beenplaying scintillating football thisseason.

SULLEY MUNTARI(SUNDERLAND)

The much-traveled midfielder hasboth a Champions League winnersmedal with Inter Milan and a FA Cupwinners medal with Portsmouth.

DEREK BOATENG(GETAFE)

The central midfielder rarely fea-tures for Ghana except for in bigtournaments.

KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG (AC MILAN)

The German-born 24 year-old iseligible to play for Ghana due to hisGhanaian father. Boateng was out-standing in South Africa last year.

ANDRE AYEW (MARSEILLE)

Ayew, who is a skillful left mid-fielder, is the son of legendaryGhanaian forward Abedi Pele.

OPOKU AGYEMANG (AL-AHLI)

Opoku Agyemang was a part of theGhanaian squad that were runners-up in last year’s African Cup ofNations.

Strikers:ASAMOAH GYAN (SUNDERLAND)

Ghana’s leading talisman has beenon form in England since his £13mil-lion move from Rennes to theStadium of Light.

PRINCE TAGOE (PARTIZAN BELGRADE)

Used predominantly as a rightmidfielder, Tagoe featured in allthree of Ghana’s World Cup groupgames but not in the knockoutstages.

DOMINIC ADIYIAH(PARTIZAN BELGRADE)

It was Adiyiah’s shot which washand-balled on the line in the 4-2penalty shoot-out loss to Uruguay inthe quarter-final stages of the WorldCup.

NATHANIEL ASAMOAH(ASANTE KOTOKO)

Could be set to make his interna-tional debut for the Black Stars.

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011The Players ClubProfiles on the men that will do battle…

[ ]

[ ]Mensah

Terry

Boateng

Bent

March 24-30, 2011 THE VOICE | 25

2266 � TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

Established

1974

www.creteshipping.co.uk

Travel & ShippingWORLDWIDE

SEA & AIR FREIGHT CONTAINERISED SERVICES

GUYANA • BARBADOS • TRINIDADST VINCENT • ANTIGUA

KINGSTON • MONTEGO BAYand all Other West Indian islands

door to door service.

*Also all ports in Ghana, Nigeria 20FT & 40FT CONTAINERS

Head Office: 42 Battersea Rise, Battersea, London SW11 1EE

Tel: 020 7223 7522 Fax: 020 7924 3897Email: sales@creteshipping.co.uk

THE ACHIEVEMENTS of ArthurWharton, the world’s first blackprofessional footballer, will berecognised with a pitch presenta-tion featuring Brendon Batson,Cyrille Regis and Arthur’s oldestliving relative and grand-daughter, Sheila Leeson.

The trio will be joinedpitchside by members ofFootball Unites,Racism Divides andthe Arthur WhartonFoundation who,working alongsideSheila, have allcampaigned in cre-ating a legacy aroundArthur’s story andsporting career.

Last year saw theFA announce a£20,000 donation to

the Arthur Wharton Foundationwhich will go towards the building ofa commemorative statue inDarlington.

Born in the Gold Coast [nowGhana] in 1865, Arthur

travelled to England asa 17-year-old to trainas a missionary but,after settling in

Darlington, heabandoned hisstudies in favourfor a career insport.

Arthur becamethe first black

player to feature inthe Football Leaguein the early 1890sand excelled at ath-letics, cricket, box-ing, cycling and

rugby. He was a terrific sprinter –setting a world record of 10 secondsfor the 100 yards at the AAAChampionships – yet his position infootball was as goalkeeper.

He started with Darlington as anamateur until Preston North End sawhis potential. But he left theInvincibles to concentrate on hisrunning and missed their Double-winning season.

He returned to football in 1889,signing for Rotherham Town as aprofessional. In two spells he made34 League appearances in the SecondDivision.

In between that time he switchedto Sheffield United, where he wasunderstudy to William ‘Fatty’Foulke, a great character whoonce played for England.

Arthur played for the Bladesagainst Sunderland in a FirstDivision fixture, making himthe first black player in top-flight football. He then sawout his career withStockport County, makingsix Second Divisionappearances in the 1901-02 season before retiringat the age of 36.

He died penniless and was buriedin an unmarked grave in EdlingtonCemetery in south Yorkshire. But hisgrave was given a headstone in 1997after a campaign by Football Unites,Racism Divides and six years later hewas inducted into the English Hall ofFame in recognition of the impact hemade on the game.

The pitchside presentation will alsofeature an Arthur Wharton maquetteand Sheila commented: “I’mabsolutely over the moon to beinvited to the game as the guests ofthe FA.

“The legend of Arthur Wharton hascaught so many people’s imagination

throughout the world and I’mimmensely proud of the role Iplayed in uncovering his hid-den story.”

The FA’s Alex Horne added:“We’re privileged to be in a

position to be able torecognise the contribu-tion Arthur Wharton

made to the gameand we must alsopay tribute to those

who have worked sotirelessly to recognise

Arthur’s legacy.”

Legend Wharton to be honoured

FUNKE AWODERU is the foot-ball-loving Equality Managerat the Football Association.RRooddnneeyy HHiinnddss caught up withher prior to the big match…

RRHH:: WWhhaatt iiss yyoouurr rroollee aatttthhee FFAA??FA: I have responsibility for theimplementation and delivery ofthe FA’s equality policy andobjectives. My role involvesworking across key depart-ments such as governance andregulation, public affairs, thenational game team, HR, legal,marketing and communicationsand FA learning, who deliverthe FA’s education programmes.

We have many ambitious andexciting inclusion and anti-dis-crimination projects, workingclosely with the women’s commit-tee and the advisory groups onrace, disability, and homophobia.

RRHH:: WWhhaatt iiss aa ttyyppiiccaall ddaayy ffoorryyoouu??FA: First thing I do is catch upon emails, respond to email andphone queries and liaise withteam members and colleagues.As part of the support to col-leagues across the FA Groupand our 50 County FootballAssociations, I regularly attendinternal meetings and input toplans and strategies to embedinclusion, equality and diversityin our thinking and processes.

RRHH:: WWhhaatt iiss yyoouurr eeaarrlliieessttffoooottbbaallll mmeemmoorryy??FA: I come from a largeNigerian family, five brothersand one sister. My older broth-ers are football mad and thisrubbed off on the rest of thefamily. World Cup tournamentswere very interesting, loud,

colourful, and full of individualcommentaries of our favouriteteams and players.

My earliest football memory

has to be the endless Saturdaysof watching Grandstand withFrank Bough presenting andfinal score, which drove me mad!My dad lived for early Saturdayevenings to review his footballpools. I was always captivated bythe announcer’s voice.

I also remember the 1990World Cup and the Cameroonfootball team, especially RogerMilla whonot onlyentertained thewhole world with hisskills but united Africans,reaching the quarter finals.What an amazing achievement,which still remains the best over-all positioning by an Africannation.

RRHH:: DDoo yyoouu hhaavvee aannyy ffaavvoouurriitteeppllaayyeerrss oorr tteeaammss??FA: Chelsea FC.

RRHH:: HHooww wwoouulldd yyoouu ssuumm uuppGGhhaannaa''ss WWoorrlldd CCuupp llaasstt yyeeaarr??FA: Interesting. Pulsating. Afantastic performance by theGhanaians. They were unluckynot to be one of the last fournations contesting for the finals.

RRHH:: WWhhaatt ddooeess GGhhaannaa''ss ssuucccceessssssaayy aabboouutt tthhee aaddvvaannccee ooffAAffrriiccaann ffoooottbbaallll?? FA: A lot! Nigeria, Egypt andMorocco are teams with tal-ented players. The African Cupof Nations is a fantastic tourna-ment. You only have to look atthe viewing figures over theyears to see its domestic andglobal following.

RRHH:: DDoo yyoouu ppaarrttiicciippaattee oorrwwaattcchh ssppoorrtt,, iiff ssoo wwhhaatt??FA: Yes I’m a keen football fan.I’ve run five marathons and acouple of half marathons; I fol-low tennis: Nadal, Murray,Clijsters and the Williams sistersand I’m also a keen squashplayer.

RRHH:: WWhhaatt wwoouulldd yyoouu ssaayy ttooootthheerr wwoommeenn llooookkiinngg ttoo ggeett iinnttoottoopp lleevveell ssppoorrttss aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn??FA: Don’t give up. If you allowyourself to believe there is a glassceiling, there is only one way

forward and that’s tosmash it! It is reallyimportant to have belief

and confi-dence in

your abil-ity and

use this as aplatform to takethe necessarysteps to reachyour goal.

“My olderbrothers are

footballmad”

Leading the way in equality

Pioneer’s Legacy

PROUD: Sheila Leeson

NEVER FORGOTTEN: Theo Walcott(left) and Kieran Gibbs withWharton’s maquette

WINNER:Wharton

MEMORIES: Funke Awoderu(right) with FARE’s Piara Powar

HERO:RogerMilla

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011

By Chris White

THE FUTURE for youngEnglish footballers seemsbright. There is an array oftalent at under-21 level andsome of these stars havealready featured in theEngland senior team. Herethe Voice of Sport profilessome of the players we maywell see wearing the nationalteam colours in years tocome...

THEO WALCOTT, 22,ARSENAL

The lightening quickwinger started off atSouthampton and was trans-ferred to Arsenal in January2006 for an initial fee of £5million. In his first season atArsenal he made no appear-ances yet travelled with theWorld Cup squad toGermany. Since then the for-ward has featured both forthe Gunners and for England,frightening defenders withhis blinding speed.

KIERAN GIBBS, 21,ARSENAL

Gibbs began his career atWimbledon and soon went toArsenal to become immersedin Arsene Wenger’s fluidstyle of play. The left-backhas been plagued withinjuries but remains odds-onfavourite to replace AshleyCole when he decides toretire from internationalduty. Like Cole, Gibbs has thestamina to support attackingplay while still able to per-form his defensiveduties at the back.

MICAHRICHARDS, 22,

MANCHESTER CITY In 2006 Richards made

history to become England’syoungest-ever defenderwhen he debuted against theNetherlands aged 18. TheManchester City full-backhas dropped off in form sincethen, but he still remains astrong contender to becomean England regular, particu-larly with Gary Nevilleretired. Liverpool’s GlenJohnson is his main adver-sary for a starting berth.

CHRIS SMALLING, 21,MANCHESTER UNITED

Smalling has made a rapidtransition through theleagues. Just two years agothe then Maidstone Unitedcentre back was playing atnon-league level. Since thenhe was scouted by Fulhamand then transferred toPremier League giantsManchester United. He hasbeen a regular for United andhas the advantage of learn-ing from the classy RioFerdinand. His future lookspromising.

DANNY WELBECK, 20,SUNDERLAND

Able to play as a lonestriker or wide right, Welbeckis an exciting prospect forManchester United and isshowing his credentialswhilst on loan at Sunderland,where he has been prolific.He is a product of the RedDevils’ youth academy and issure to develop under theguidance of Steve Bruce andSir Alex Ferguson.

JAY EMMANUEL-THOMAS,20, CARDIFF CITY

At 6’ 3” Emmanuel-Thomas is known for hisclose touch and trickery. He’sa product of the renownedArsenal academy and hasfeatured in a handful ofunder-17 and under-19

England fix-tures. Onloan toCardiff City,the forward

is known for his versatilityas he can play left-back,left midfield, centralmidfield and up front.

JOHN BOSTOCK, 19,HULL CITY

The attackingmidfielder is knownfor his vision, skill and team-work. Since debuting forCrystal Palace at 15 years287 days old, he has beentouted as the next big thingin English football. Bostocksigned for TottenhamHotspur in 2008 and hassince been on loan toBrentford and then Hull Cityto gain first team experience.

NATHAN DELFOUNESO, 20,BURNLEY

Delfounseo has led the linefor Villa due to their injury-hit strikeforce. His pace andstrength has also forced himinto contention for a place inthe under-21 national team.Although he is on loan toBurnely, if he can establishhimself at Turf Moor then theopportunity is there for himto grow into a star playerwhen he returns to thePremier League.

EMMANUEL FRIMPONG,19, ARSENAL

Frimpong is another excit-ing talent to come throughthe Arsenal ranks. A season-long injury has kept him outof action in what could havebeen a mesmericseason, poten-tially estab-lishing himselfas a first-teamregular. Thed e f e n s i v e

midfielder is an animalwhen it comes to break-ing up oppositionattacks yet stylishwhen retaining posses-sion. Born in Ghana,

Frimpong is capped forEngland at under-16 andunder-17 level but may yetdecide to play for his coun-try of birth.

MICHAEL MANCIENNE, 23,WOLVERHAMPTON

WANDERERSCurrently on loan at

Wolverhampton Wanderers

from Chelsea, Mancienne’sform has been crucial toWolves’ Premier League sur-vival hopes. He is a versatiledefender and can play any-where across the back and canalso start in front of thedefence. Mancienne has expe-rience at all levels of Englandyouth football but has yet tofeature for the first team.

Interesting footnote: You might have detected

that in this list of talent of thefuture there is no goalkeeper!While that can be seen as abad thing some see it asempowering, since the attrib-utes of young black playerswill be wasted if put in goal.Some black players tend to bequicker and stronger from anearly age, so from a youngage most players tend to becentre forwards, and thenlater converted into otherpositions on the pitch. But theadvance of black players overthe years, surely means ablack ‘keeper will emerge!

TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 - 30, 2011 � 27

A pride of youngEngland lionsPlayers with the future in mind

LOANSTAR:Welbeck

TRANSITION:Smalling

VISION:Bostock

STYLISH:Frimpong

England - Ghana: March 29, 2011

2288 � TTHHEE VVOOIICCEE MARCH 24 - 30, 2011