In November, we compiled a list of the "10 most exciting young talents in world football." Now, "if a week is a long time in politics" (quote: Harold Wilson, former British Prime Minister), then three months is an eternity in football.

Many of the big squads in Europe have been stretched recently and, coupled with the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, a whole new batch of youngsters have burst onto the scene. Below is our new list of players who have made an impression on the beautiful game in recent weeks.

1. Diego Capel (19): Sevilla’s left-winger played probably his finest game in the 1-1 draw with Barcelona on Saturday. Capel terrorised the Barca defence and scored only his second senior goal to give Sevilla the lead. With his excellent pace and acceleration, it is no surprise that Arsenal and Spurs have been sniffing around the mercurial winger.

''McGeady has lit up the season with his dancing feet and dipping shoulders, leaving magic dust and shell-shocked defenders in his wake'' - Chick Young on the BBC website


2. Tom Huddlestone (21): Spurs paid around £2.5 million for “The Hudd” back in July 2005 but only now, under the management of Juande Ramos, is he beginning to show what a fine player he is. In recent games the former Derby County man has excelled in both defence and midfield and his new diet (no ketchup!) has done wonders for the bulky midfielder to keep up with the furious pace of the Premier League. Martin Jol compared him to Franz Beckenbauer, finally that prediction is beginning to look accurate.

3. Aiden McGeady (21): Easily the most skilful player in the Scottish Premier League, it can’t be long until the Celtic winger is playing in England. Chick Young on the BBC website waxed lyrical about the Republic of Ireland international this week, saying McGeady “has lit up the season with his dancing feet and dipping shoulders, leaving magic dust and shell-shocked defenders in his wake.” Anyone who saw the skill he displayed to set up Celtic’s fourth goal against Aberdeen on Sunday would have to agree.

4. Stephen Ireland (21): Like Huddlestone at Spurs, Sven-Goran Eriksson has been the making of Ireland at Manchester City. In December he scored a brilliant volley to bag three points against Sunderland and he was sensational on Sunday in City’s 2-1 win against Manchester United. Alongside Gelson Fernandes, Ireland made Anderson and Paul Scholes look ordinary.

5. Mario Balotelli (17): Whilst Alexandre Pato has been taking all the plaudits at AC Milan, city rivals Inter Milan have been nurturing a striking gem of their own. The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Balotelli made an immediate impact by scoring a cracker against Juventus in the Coppa Italia. He followed this up with a stunning overhead kick in the prestigious Viareggio youth tournament. In August Balotelli is expected to request Italian citizenship; the Azzurri’s gain is Ghana’s loss.

6. Alberto Paloschi (18): The media-hype that has followed Alexandre Pato has even obscured a striking starlet that plays for the Rossoneri. Paloschi announced himself to Serie A on Sunday by scoring against Siena within 18 seconds of coming on. Coach Carlo Ancelotti could hardly contain his delight on the Milan bench. With injuries to Kaka, Ronaldo and Pato, Paloschi may have a crucial role to play in the Champions League tie with Arsenal next week.

7.Pele (20): Or to give him his full name, Vitor Hugo Gomes Passos Pelé. Most players would be fazed by sharing a name with the greatest player the game has ever seen, but the Inter Milan midfielder shows no sign of being burdened by the pressure. He made his debut for the Serie A champions in December and to underline his potential, he scored a belter in Portugal's Under-21 win over Scotland last week.

8. Manucho (24): The oldest player on this list, but let’s be honest who had heard of him before Manchester United signed him in January? The gangly Angolan striker had a brilliant Africa Cup of Nations, scoring some amazing goals and he even pipped Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o to a place in the team of the tournament. Manucho is off to Panathanaikos for the rest of the season; his arrival at Old Trafford will be highly anticipated come August.

9. Alexandre Song (20): Another player who came to prominence during the Africa Cup of Nations. Comfortable playing in both central defence and in midfield, Song impressed in Arsenal’s quarter-final Carling Cup win over Blackburn in January. But he announced himself to the football world in Ghana. He was a revelation, earning a Man of the Match award for his display in the semi-final - and the nephew of Rigobert was also named in the tournament’s best XI.

10.Anthony Annan (21): Annan stood out in a Ghana midfield containing Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien and his displays at the Africa Cup of Nations means the big clubs are sniffing around. Annan is rumoured to be signing for Chelsea in the summer. Small, yet powerful and exceptionally skilful, the young Ghanaian has been compared with Pablo Aimar - and it not hard to see why.

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